l^sl'il 

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iv 


HARRIS  ON  THE  PIG. 


BREEDING,  REARING,  MANAGEMENT, 


AND 


I  M  PR  OVE  M  E  N  T. 


BY 

JOSEPH   HARRIS, 

MOEBTON  PAKM,  BOCHBSTKB,  K, 


ILLUSTRATED. 


NEW    YORK: 
ORANGE   JUDD   AND   COMPANY, 

245     BROADWAY. 


H  3 


Entered  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1870,  by 
ORANGE   JUDD    &   CO., 

In  the  Clerk's  Office  of  the  District  Court  of  the  United  States  for  the  Southern 
District  of  New  York. 


PREFACE. 


Paradoxical  as  it  may  seem,  in  writing  a  book  on  Pigs 
and  in  endeavoring  to  show  that  we  can  obtain  more 
meat  from  a  well-bred  pig,  in  proportion  to  the  food  con- 
sumed, than  from  any  other  domestic  animal,  it  is  no  part 
of  my  object  to  stimulate  the  production  of  pork. 

For  over  twenty  years  I  have  had  the  honor  to  be  con- 
nected with  the  Agricultural  Press  of  America,  and  have 
had  my  thoughts  constantly  directed  to  the  means  neces- 
sary to  improve  our  general  system  of  farming.  A  farmer's 
son,  and  myself  a  farmer,  all  my  sympathies  are  with  the 
farming  class  rather  than  with  the  consumers ;  but  I  am 
satisfied  that,  in  many  respects,  our  interests  are  identical. 
It  should  be  our  study  to  furnish  good  food  at  reasonable 
rates.  At  the  present  time  .the  consumers  in  our  large 
cities  are  obliged  to  pay  much  more  for  flesh-meat  than 
it  is  intrinsically  worth ;  and,  on  the  other  hand,  with 
the  exception  of  those  who  produce  beef  and  mutton  of 
the  best  quality,  farmers  make  nothing  by  raising  and 
feeding  cattle  and  sheep.  We  receive  more  for  our  meat 
than  it  is  worth,  and  yet  it  costs  us  more  than  we  get  for  it. 

The  remedy  for  this  unsatisfactory  condition  of  affairs, 
will  be  found  in  cultivating  our  land  more  thoroughly,  in 
growing  better  grass,  in  keeping  better  stock  and  in  liber- 
al feeding. 

The  introduction  of  better  breeds  of  pigs  will  in  itself 
do  little  towards  improving  our  farms;  but  the  farmer 
who  once  uses  a  thorough-bred  boar  and  adopts  a  liberal 
system  of  feeding,  will  find  that  he  can  produce  better 
pork  at  a  far  less  cost  than  when  he  uses  a  common  boar ; 
3 


4  HAEKIS    OX  THE   PIG. 

and  he  will  be  likely  to  study  the  principles  of  breeding 
with  an  interest  he  has  never  felt  before.  The  introduc- 
tion of  a  thorough-bred  boar  will  lead  to  the  introduction 
of  a  thorough-bred  ram  and  a  thorough-bred  bull  of  a  good 
breed,  and  this,  in  conjunction  with  cleaner  culture  and  a 
more  liberal  feeding,  is  all  that  is  needed  to  give  us  better 
and  cheaper  meat ;  and  at  the  same  time  we  shall  make 
more  and  richer  manure,  and  be  enabled  to  grow  larger 
and  far  more  profitable  crops  of  grain. 

I  believe  I  was  the  first  writer  who  contended  that, 
other  things  being  equal,  it  was  desirable  to  get  animals 
that  would  eat,  digest  and  assimilate  a  large  amount  of 
food.  In  the  following  pages  I  have  endeavored  to  give 
some  reasons  for  this  opinion  and  have  cited  some  experi- 
ments that  confirm  it.  If  true  of  pigs,  it  is  equally  true 
of  cattle  and  sheep.  If  generally  admitted,  it  will  lead  to 
a  more  liberal  system  of  feeding  and  to  the  production  of 
more  and  far  better  meat. 

It  may  be  thought  that  I  should  have  said  more  in  re- 
gard to  the  different  breeds  of  pigs  in  the  United  States. 
There  is  in  almost  every  section  a  class  of  useful  pigs  of 
more  or  less  local  reputation ;  but  it  is  doubtful  if  they 
have  been  kept  pure  for  a  sufficient  length  of  time  to  war- 
rant us  in  speaking  of  them  as  established  breeds.  And 
even  if  this  were  the  case,  I  know  of  none  of  them  that 
possesses  the  smallness  of  offal,  perfection  of  form,  early 
maturity,  and  fattening  qualities  of  the  Yorkshire,  Essex 
or  Berkshire.  There  is  none  of  them  that  would  not  be 
improved  in  these  respects  by  crossing  with  a  thorough- 
bred boar  of  either  of  these  breeds. 

Of  the  diseases  of  pigs  I  have  said  little,  for  the  simple 
reason  that  I  know  little  in  regard  to  them.  Cleanliness 
and  good  treatment  are  the  best  medicines  for  a  pig. 
Anatomically,  a  pig  approximates  more  closely  to  a  man, 
than  any  other  of  our  domestic  animals,  and  if  we  know 
how  to  treat  a  cold  or  a  diarrhoea  in  ourselves,  we  shall 


PREFACE.  5 

not  be  far  wrong  in  treating  a  pig  in  the  same  way.  And 
so  of  other  diseases.  It  should  be  observed,  however, 
that  a  pig  grows  as  much  in  eight  months,  as  a  man  does 
in  eighteen  years.  This  rapid  growth  enables  the  pig 
either  to  throw  off  disease  in  a  few  days,  or  failing  in 
this,  the  disease  soon  spreads  throughout  the  whole  sys- 
tem and  carries  off  its  victim.  Thus  typhoid  fever  is  often 
so  rapidly  fatal  as  to  be  popularly  spoken  of  as  "  Hog 
Cholera. "  Our  first  aim,  therefore,  should  be  to  guard 
against  all  hereditary  diseases  in  the  selection  of  pigs  for 
breeding  and  to  exercise  great  care  in  maintaining  the 
health  and  vigor  of  our  swine. 

In  preparing  this  book,  I  have  corresponded  with  many 
experienced  breeders,  and  in  the  appendix  have  given 
some  extracts  from  this  correspondence. 

We  have  been  asked  by  a  scientific  fiiend  to  call  this  a 
book  on  "  the  Hog  "  instead  of  on  « the  Pig."  If  it  were 
a  work  on  natural  history,  hog  would  be  the  proper  word, 
but  it  is  purely  a  practical  treatise  on  domestic  swine.  A 
pig  is  a  young  hog ;  and  the  aim  of  this  work  is  to  induce 
farmers  to  so  breed  and  feed  their  pigs,  that  they  will  be 
in  the  pork  barrel  long  before  they  attain  the  age  of  an 
old-fashioned  hog.  It  is  proper  to  speak  of  "  the  wild 
hog,"  and  there  may  be  varieties  of  swine  so  little  im- 
proved as  to  be  hogs  stilL  Let  those  who  have  them  call 
them  hogs,  but  we  cannot  see  the  propriety  of  calling  a 
highly  refined  Essex  or  Berkshire  pig,  a  hog.  All  the 
modern  agricultural  writers  on  swine  seem  to  have  adopt- 
ed this  view.  Not  one  of  them  speak  of  the  improved 
breeds  as  hogs.  Stephens,  in  his  Book  of  the  Farm,  and 
the  writers  in  Morton's  Cyclopedia  of  Agriculture,  treat 
of  pigs,  not  hogs.  And  Youatt,  Martin,  Richardson, 
Sydney,  and  Darwin,  all  speak  of  domestic  swine  as  pigs, 
and  it  is  hardly  worth  while  for  us  to  endeavor  to  change 
the  usuage  of  the  best  writers.  We  have  no  desire  to 
have  our  Western  friends  speak  of  the  "  Magie  Hogs  "  as 


6  HAEEIS    ON  THE  PIG. 

Pigs.  We  presume  Hogs  is  the  appropriate  name  for 
them ;  but  if  they  should  find  it  to  their  interest  to  cross 
them  with  some  of  the  refined  thorough-breds,  the  grades, 
if  well  fed,  will  arrive  at  maturity  before  they  become 
hogs.  The  wants  of  consumers,  and  the  interests  of  pro- 
ducers, call  for  more  pigs,  and  fewer  hogs,  and  it  is  the 
object  of  this  work  to  advocate  the  change. 

J.  H. 

Moreton  Farm,  Itochester,    ) 
N.  Y.,  April,  1870,        J 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER    I. 
INTRODUCTORY Page   9 

CHAPTER    H. 
BREEDS  OP  PIGS 14 

CHAPTER    HI. 
THE  FORM  OP  A  GOOD  Pia 17 

CHAPTER    IV. 
DESIRABLE  QUALITIES  IN  A  PIG 20 

CHAPTER   V. 
LARGE  vs.  SMALL  BREEDS  AND  CROSSES...  ..  22 


CHAPTER    VI. 
VALUE  OP  A  THOROUGH-BRED  PIG . .  35 

CHAPTER    VII. 
GOOD  PIGS  NEED  GOOD  CARE 37 

CHAPTER    VHI. 
THE  ORIGIN  AND  IMPROVEMENT  OP  OUR  DOMESTIC  PIGS 41 

CHAPTER    IX. 
IMPROVEMENT  OP  THE  ENGLISH  BREEDS  OP  PIGS 47 

CHAPTER   X. 
THE  MODERN  BREEDS  OP  ENGLISH  PIGS 56 

CHAPTER   XI. 
BREEDS  OP  PIGS  IN  THE  UNITED  STATES 98 

7 


8  HARRIS    ON    THE   PIG. 

CHAPTER    XII. 
EXPERIMENTS  IN'PIG  FEEDING  118 

CHAPTER    XIH. 
LAWES  AND  GILBERT'S  EXPERIMENTS  IN  PIG  FEEDING 122 

CHAPTER   XIV. 
SUGAR  AS  FOOD  FOR  PIGS 135 

CHAPTER    XV. 
THE  VALUE  OF  PIG  MANURE 137 

CHAPTER    XVI. 
PIGGERIES  AND  PIG  PENS 144 

CHAPTER   XVH. 
SWILL  BARRELS,  PIG  TROUGHS,  ETC 169 

CHAPTER    XVm. 
MANAGEMENT  OF  PIGS 175 

CHAPTER    XIX. 
ENGLISH  EXPERIENCE  IN  PIG  FEEDING 181 

CHAPTER    XX. 
LIVE  AND  DEAD  WEIGHT  OF  PIGS 190 

CHAPTER    XXI. 
BREEDING  AND  REARING  PIGS 192 

CHAPTER    XXII. 
MANAGEMENT  OF  THOROUGH-BRED  PIGS 203 

CHAPTER    XXHI. 
THE  PROFIT  OF  RAISING  THOROUGH-BRED  PIGS 220 

CHAPTER    XXIV. 
COOKING  FOOD  FOR  PIGS...  221 


CHAPTER    XXV. 
SUMMARY... 


CHAPTER  XXVI. 
APPENDIX 


HARRIS    ON    THE    PIG. 


CHAPTER    L 

INTRODUCTORY. 

Domestic  animals  are  kept  for  several  objects.  The 
Horse,  Mule,  and  Ass,  for  labor ;  the  Ox  for  labor  and 
beef;  the  Cow  for  milk  and  beef;  the  Sheep  for  wool  and 
mutton,  and  in  some  countries  for  milk  also ;  Poultry  for 
feathers,  eggs,  and  meat.  The  Pig,  agriculturally,  is  kept 
for  meat  alone.  The  sole  aim  of  the  breeder  is  to  obtain 
a  pig  that  will  produce  the  largest  amount  of  pork  and 
lard  from  a  given  quantity  of  food. 

The  same  is  true  of  cattle  when  kept  solely  for  beef.  In 
this  case  the  main  difference  between  the  two  animals  is, 
that  the  ox  is  provided  with  four  stomachs,  and  is  capable 
of  extracting  sufficient  nutriment,  in  ordinary  cases,  from 
bulky  food,  while  the  pig  has  but  one  stomach — and  that 
comparatively  a  small  one — and,  consequently,  requires 
food  containing  a  greater  amount  of  nutriment  in  a  given 
bulk.  Grass  is  the  natural  food  of  the  ox ;  roots,  nuts,  and 
acorns,  worms  and  other  animal  matter,  the  natural  food 
of  the  hog.  The  pig  unquestionably  requires  a  more  con- 
centrated food  than  the  ox  or  the  sheep. 

The  stomach  of  an  ox  weighs  about  35  Ibs. ;  tnat  of  a 
Southdown  or  Leicester  sheep  from  3  to  4  Ibs. ;  and  that 
of  a  pig  1 J  Ibs. 

The  weight  of  the  stomach,  in  proportion  to  each  one 
9  1* 


10  HARRIS   ON   THE    PIG. 

hundred  pounds  of  live  weight,  is :  ox,  3  Ibs. ;  sheep,  3  to 
4  Ibs. ;  fat  pig,  0.66  Ibs.  In  other  words,  in  proportion  to 
live  weight,  the  stomach  of  an  ox,  or  sheep,  is  about  five 
times  as  great  as  that  of  a  pig. 

It  is  quite  evident,  from  these  facts,  that  the  pig  is  not 
so  well  adapted  to  feed  on  grass  or  hay  as  the  ox  or  sheep. 

This  is  a  strong  argument  against  the  hog  as  an  eco- 
nomical farm  animal. 

In  proportion  to  the  nutriment  they  contain,  the  con- 
centrated foods  are  more  costly  than  those  of  greater 
bulk.  Not  only  is  their  market  price  usually  higher,  but 
it  costs  more  to  produce  them.  Elaboration  is  an  expen- 
sive process.  The  common  white  turnip,  containing  from 
92  to  94  per  cent  of  water,  can  be  grown  with  less  labor 
and  manure,  and  in  a  shorter  period,  than  the  Swedish 
turnip,  containing  from  88  to  90  per  cent  of  water,  and 
this  less  than  the  Mangel  Wurzel,  containing  only  86  per 
cent  of  water.  Carrots,  which  are  still  more  nutritious, 
are  even  more  costly,  in  proportion  to  the  nutriment  they 
contain.  This  is  probably  a  general  law. 

As  the  ox  can  subsist  and  fatten  on  less  cencentrated 
and  less  costly  food  than  the  pig,  it  follows,  therefore,  that 
a  pound  of  beef  ought  to  be  produced  at  less  cost  than  a 
pound  of  pork. 

There  are,  however,  several  circumstances  which  modify 
this  conclusion.  Pigs  will  eat  food  which,  but  for  them, 
would  be  wasted.  Where  grain  or  oil-cake  is  fed  to  cattle, 
a  certain  number  of  pigs  can  be  kept  at  a  merely  nominal 
cost.  We  can  in  no  other  way  utilize  the  refuse  from  the 
house  and  the  dairy  so  advantageously  as  by  feeding  it 
to  swine.  On  grain  farms,  pigs  will  obtain  a  good  living 
for  several  weeks  after  harvest,  on  the  stubbles,  and  in 
some  sections,  they  find  a  considerable  amount  of  food  in 
the  woods. 

Even  where  we  have  none  of  these  advantages,  the  dif- 
ference in  the  cost  of  producing  a  pound  of  beef  and  a 


INTRODUCTORY.  11 

pound  of  pork  is  not  so  great  as  the  above  considerations 
would  lead  us  to  suppose.  The  hog  is  a  great  eater.  He 
can  eat,  and  digest,  and  assimilate,  more  nutriment  in  a 
given  time,  in  proportion  to  his  size,  than  any  other  of  our 
domestic  animals. 

The  extensive  and  elaborate  experiments  of  Messrs. 
Lawes  and  Gilbert  show  that,  notwithstanding  pigs  are 
fed  much  richer  food  than  oxen  and  sheep,  they  neverthe- 
less eat  about  twice  as  much  food,  in  proportion  to  live 
weight,  as  a  sheep.  On  the  other  hand,  it  was  found  that 
401  Ibs.  of  Indian  corn  meal  and  bran  (dry)  produced 
100  Ibs.  of  pork  (live  weight),  while  it  required  1,548  Ibs. 
of  oil -cake  and  clover  hay  (dry)  to  produce  100  Ibs.  of 
mutton  (live  weight.) 

Why  a  pig  should  gain  so  much  more  from  a  given 
quantity  of  food,  than  a  well-bred  sheep  or  steer,  has  not 
hitherto  been  explained.  It  has  been  attributed  to  the 
fact  that  the  pig  possesses  larger  and  more  powerful  as- 
similating organs. 

Thus,  Messrs.  Lawes  and  Gilbert  say :  "  An  examination 
of  these  tables  [of  results  of  experiments]  will  show 
that  the  stomachs  and  contents  constituted 

In  the  oxen  about  \\.}4  Per  cen*  of  the  entire  weight  of  the  body. 
"    "  sheep    "        7>£   "      "       '•  "         "  "          " 

"       "     Dl£?  "  I1/      "         "  "  "  "  "  " 

"  The  intestines  and  their  contents,  on  the  other  hand, 
stand  in  an  opposite  relation.  Thus,  of  the  entire  body, 
these  amounted 

In  the  pig      to  about  6%"  per  cent. 
"    "    sheep  "      "      m    "      " 
."    "    oxen    "      "      2%    "      " 

"  These  facts,"  they  remark,  "  are  of  considerable  inter- 
est, when  it  is  borne  in  mind,  that  in  the  food  *of  the 
ruminant  there  is  so  large  a  proportion  of  indigestible 
woody  fibre,  and  in  that  of  a  well-fed  pig  a  comparatively 
large  proportion  of  starch — the  primary  transformations 


12  HARRIS    Otf  THE    PIG. 

of  which  are  supposed  to  take  place  chiefly  after  leaving 
the  stomach,  and  more  or  less  throughout  the  intestinal 
canal." 

These  facts  explain  very  clearly  why  an  ox  or  a  sheep 
can  thrive  on  more  bulky  food  than  a  pig ;  also  why  a  pig 
can  assimilate  more  food  than  an  ox  or  a  sheep,  but  they 
do  not  show  why  a  given  amount  of  food  should  produce 
so  much  more  flesh  and  fat  when  fed  to  the  pig  than  when 
fed  to  oxen  or  sheep — unless,  indeed,  we  are  to  suppose 
that  in  the  case  of  the  ox  and  the  sheep,  a  considerable 
proportion  of  the  food  passes  through  the  body  undigest- 
ed and  unassimilated.  But  an  analysis  of  the  excre- 
ments indicates  nothing  of  this  kind.  Except  when  an 
excessive  amount  of  grain  is  allowed,  the  food  is  unques- 
tionably as  thoroughly  digested  and  assimilated  in  the 
ox  and  the  sheep,  as  in  the  pig. 

We  must,  therefore,  look  for  some  other  explanation  of 
the  fact  that  pigs  can  gain  more  rapidly  on  a  given 
amount  of  nutriment  than  oxen  or  sheep. 

An  animal  requires  a  certain  amount  of  nutritive  matter 
merely  to  sustain  life.  This  matter  may  be  derived  either 
from  the  daily  food  supplied,  or  from  matter  previously 
stored  up  in  the  body.  The  actual  amount  required,  va- 
ries greatly  according  to  the  conditions  in  which  the  ani- 
mal is  placed.  If  kept  comfortably  warm  and  quiet,  less 
is  required  than  if  exposed  to  cold,  or  compelled  to  labor. 
But  in  all  cases,  wherever  life  exists,  a  certain  amount  of 
nutritive  matter  is  necessary  for  its  support.  Directly  or 
indirectly,  this  is  always  derived  from  the  food. 

How  much  food  is  necessary  to  keep  an  animal  so  that 
it  shall  neither  gain  nor  lose  in  flesh,  has  not  been  accu- 
rately ascertained.  Thousands  of  animals  are  so  kept, 
but  the  actual  amount  consumed  is  seldom  determined. 
It  often  happens  that  cows,  not  giving  milk,  are  so  kept 
during  the  winter  that  they  do  not  weigh  a  pound  more 
in  the  spring  than  in  the  fall.  We  receive  absolutely  noth- 


INTRODUCTORY.  13 

ing  for  the  food  they  eat.  It  is  all  consumed  in  sustaining 
the  vital  functions. 

A  well-bred  Shorthorn  has  been  made  to  weigh  1,200 
Ibs.  by  the  time  it  was  a  year  old.  On  the  other  hand,  an 
ox  is  sometimes  kept  five  years  before  it  attains  this 
weight.  The  Shorthorn  was  fed  a  considerable  amount 
of  food  over  and  above  that  required  to  sustain  life,  while 
the  other  had  little  more  than  was  necessary  for  this  pur- 
pose. Let  us  assume  that  the  latter  ate  4  tons  of  hay  a 
year,  and  that  80  per  cent  of  it  was  used  merely  to  sus- 
tain life.  At  the  end  of  five  years  he  would  have  con- 
sumed 20  tons  of  hay,  16  tons  of  which  have  been  used 
merely  to  sustain  the  vital  functions,  and'  4  tons  have  been 
converted  into  1,200  Ibs.  of  animal  matter. 

The  Shorthorn  accomplished  the  same  result  in  one 
year;  and  we  may  reasonably  suppose  that  in  this  case 
also,  4  tons  of  hay  or  its  equivalent,  were  sufficient  to  fur- 
nish the  material  necessary  for  the  formation  of  this 
amount  of  animal  growth.  We  may  further  assume  that 
at  any  rate  no  more  food  was  required  to  sustain  the  vital 
functions  in  the  Shorthorn  than  was  required  by  the  other 
animal.  This  we  have  estimated  at  3  tons  4  cwt.  a  year. 
It  follows,  therefore,  that  the  Shorthorn,  by  eating  7  tons 
4  cwt.  of  hay  or  its  equivalent,  in  a  single  year  was  ena- 
bled to  produce  as  much  beef  as  the  other  steer  produced 
by  the  consumption  of  4  tons  a  year  for  five  years.  The 
consumption  of  less  than  twice  as  much  food  enabled  the 
Shorthorn  to  increase  five  times  as  rapidly  as  the  other. 
Seven  tons  4  cwt.  of  hay,  or  its  equivalent,  produced  as 
much  growth  (and  probably  more  beef  and  fat),  when  fed 
to  the  animal  capable  of  eating  and  assimilating  it. 

These  considerations  will  show  why  a  pig,  that  can  eat 
so  much  more  food  than  a  sheep  or  an  ox,  in  proportion 
to  size,  is  enabled  to  grow  so  much  faster,  in  proportion  to 
the  food  consumed. 

The  fact  that  the  pig  has  greater  powers  of  assimilating 


14  HAERIS    ON   THE    PIG. 

food,  merely  explains  why  he  can  grow  so  rapidly,  but  it 
throws  no  light  on  the  fact  that  he  can  gain  more  rapidly, 
in  proportion  to  the  food  consumed,  than  any  other  do- 
mestic animal.  The  real  explanation  of  this  fact  is  the 
one  given  above.  He  can  eat  more,  digest  more,  and  as- 
similate more,  over  and  above  the  amount  of  food  neces- 
sary to  sustain  life. 


CHAPTER    II. 

BREEDS    OF    PIGS. 

Like  all  other  animals,  pigs  adapt  themselves  to  the  cir- 
cumstances in  which  they  are  placed.  Where  the  supply 
of  food  is  scanty  and  uncertain,  they  grow  slowly,  and 
are  long  in  coming  to  maturity.  Where  they  have  to 
travel  far  in  search  of  their  food,  they  have  legs  adapted 
for  the  purpose ;  and  if  they  are  obliged  to  seek  their 
food  under  ground,  their  snouts  soon  become  long  and 
powerful.  Where  they  are  liable  to  molestation  or  attack, 
they  soon  acquire  a  ferocious  disposition  and  the  means 
for  defence.  On  the  other  hand,  where  they  have  a  liberal 
and  constant  supply  of  food,  where  they  are  provided 
with  warm  and  comfortable  quarters,  and  are  never  harshly 
treated,  they  become  gentle  in  disposition,  are  indisposed 
to  roam  about,  have  finer  hair  and  skin,  shorter  and  finer 
legs,  smaller  head,  ears  and  snout.  They  grow  rapidly 
and  mature  early. 

Such  a  change  does  not  take  place  at  once ;  and  the 
same  may  be  said  of  the  conditions.  A  rude  system  of 
agriculture  is  never  immediately  followed  by  high  farm- 
ing. There  must  be  intermediate  changes.  And  so  it  is 
with  our  domestic  animals.  We  have  almost  as  many 
kinds  of  hogs  as  we  have  different  kinds  or  systems  of 
farming.  We  do  not  call  them  breeds,  because  there  is 


BREEDS    OF    PIGS.  15 

little  permanency  of  character  about  them.  They  are 
constantly  changing,  just  as  the  management  of  their  own- 
ers varies. 

A  breed  possesses  fixed  characteristics.  If  fully  estab- 
lished, and  the  conditions  of  feeding  and  management  are 
not  changed,  these  characteristics  are  transmitted  from 
generation  to  generation.  In  pigs,  owing  to  their  fecund- 
ity, it  is  a  comparatively  easy  matter  to  establish  a  breed. 

Man  does  not  create  a  breed.  God  alone  creates.  All 
that  we  can  do  is  to  avail  ourselves  of  that  inherent  dis- 
position which  animals  have  of  adapting  themselves  to 
the  conditions  in  which  they  are  placed.  The  conditions 
are  under  our  control.  Let  the  breeder  first  make  up  his 
mind  what  system  of  feeding  and  management  he  will 
adopt.  Then  let  him  steadily  and  perseveringly  adhere 
to  it.  An  unstable  man  can  never  be  a  successful  breeder. 
If  he  wishes  a  breed  that  will  grow  moderately  0n  a  mod- 
erate allowance  of  food,  and  arrive  at  maturity  in  two  or 
three  years,  he  can  attain  his  object  by  feeding  moderately 
and  selecting  such  pigs  to  breed  from,  as  come  nearest  his 
wishes.  If  any  pigs  in  the  litter  manifest  a  disposition  to 
grow  rapidly,  they  must  be  rejected.  Such  pigs  are  not 
suited  to  a  moderate  allowance  of  food.  Their  offspring 
will  certainly  degenerate.  Better  select  those  which 
make  the  slowest  growth,  and  which  are  consequently 
least  likely  to  experience  the  injurious  effects  of  starva- 
tion. By  steadily  pursuing  this  method,  a  breed  can  be 
obtained  which  will  eat  little  and  grow  slowly,  and  yet 
remain  healthy.  If  it  is  desired  to  have  them  attain  a 
greater  weight  without  increasing  the  daily  allowance  of 
food,'  attention  must  be  directed  to  this  object.  Do  not 
let  either  the  sow  or  the  boar  breed  until  they  have  at- 
tained their  fullest  growth,  say  at  three,  four,  or  five  years 
of  age. 

The  advantage  of  such  a  breed  lies  in  the  fact  that  it 
would  suffer  less  from  occasional  starvation,  than  breeds 


10  HARRIS    OX   TEIE    PIG. 

which  are  adapted  to  grow  rapidly,  and  mature  early,  on 
liberal  feeding.  But  of  course  such  a  breed  can  only  be 
profitable  where  the  food  costs  little  or  nothing — and 
even  in  this  case  it  may  well  be  questioned  whether  a 
breed  that  eats  more  and  gains  faster  would  not  be  more 
profitable.  All  that  we  wish  to  show  is,  that  no  matter 
what  the  object  of  the  breeder  is,  he  can  attain  it.  He 
can  raise  a  breed  adapted  to  any  system  of  feeding  and 
management  he  desires  to  adopt.  In  point  of  fact,  the 
pigs  will  adapt  themselves,  sooner  or  later,  to  the  supply 
of  food  and  the  means  necessary  for  them  to  use,  in  order 
to  obtain  it.  The  breeder  can,  by  selection,  greatly  acceler- 
ate the  change,  but  the  main  cause  is  the  food  and  treat- 
ment. In  this  sense  the  "  breed  goes  in  at  the  mouth." 

If  a  farmer  wishes  a  breed  of  pigs  that  will  grow  with 
great  rapidity  and  fatten  early,  he  cannot  attain  his  object 
without  liberal  feeding.  If  he  will  furnish  this  for  sev- 
eral generations  and  at  the  same  time  provide  warm  and 
comfortable  quarters,  and  never  suffer  the  pigs  to  be 
harshly  treated  or  neglected,  he  will  do  much  to  secure 
his  object.  Selection  will  do  the  rest.  It  is  generally 
supposed  that  the  success  of  the  breeder  depends  mainly 
on  his  ability  to  select  a  boar — having  those  points  fully 
developed  in  which  his  sows  are  most  deficient ;  and 
doubtless  this  requires  much  skill  and  nice  discrimi- 
nation. But  we  are  satisfied  that  the  cause  of  failure 
is  generally  owing  to  inconstant  or  illiberal  feeding. 
The  breeder  must  love  his  animals,  and  must  give  them 
his  constant  personal  attention.  A  few  weeks'  neglect, 
starving  at  one  season  and  surfeiting  at  another,  harsh 
treatment,  and  damp,  dirty  pens,  will  counteract  all  the 
advantage  derived  from  months  of  good  management. 

Nature  protects  herself.  The  offspring  of  animals  lia- 
ble to  such  occasional  neglect  will,  so  to  speak,  expect  such 
treatment,  and  even  if  they  themselves  have  liberal  and 


THE    FORM    OF   A   GOOD   PIG.  17 

constant  feeding,  they  will  not  possess  the  qualities  of 
rapid  growth  and  early  maturity,  in  the  highest  degree. 

It  is  the  weakest  link  that  determines  the  strength  of  a 
chain.  And  so  far  as  inherited  qualities  are  concerned, 
the  rapidity  of  growth  will  be  influenced  more  by  the  pe- 
riods of  neglect  and  starvation,  than  by  the  occasional 
periods  of  high  feeding.  Starving  a  young,  well-bred 
sow  may  not  show  any  great  and  injurious  effect  on  the 
sow  herself,  but  the  offspring  of  such  a  sow,  if  she  breed 
at  all,  will  be  seriously  injured.  A  few  months  starvation 
and  neglect  may  counteract  nearly  all  the  advantages 
which  the  breed  has  acquired  by  generations  of  careful 
breeding  and  feeding. 


CHAPTER    III. 

THE    FORM    OF    A    GOOD    PIG. 

The  aim  of  all  breeders  of  animals  designed  solely  for 
meat,  is  to  have  the  body  approximate  as  closely  as  possi- 
ble to  the  form  of  a  parallelepiped.  In  proportion  to  the 
size,  an  animal  of  this  form  contains  the  greatest  weight. 
Hence  it  is,  that  farmers  who  have  kept  nothing  but 
common  pigs,  and  who  look  upon  a  well-formed,  grade 
Essex  or  Suffolk  as  "  small,"  are  surprised  to  find,  when 
brought  to  the  scales,  that  it  weighs  more  than  an  old- 
fashioned,  ill-formed  pig  of  much  greater  apparent  size. 

Another  advantage  of  this  form  is,  that  it  gives  a  greater 
proportion  of  the  most  desirable  parts  of  the  pig. 

In  a  pig  of  this  form  the  ribs  are  well-arched.  We  can- 
not have  a  flat,  broad,  "  table-back  "  without  this.  And 
consequently  the  muscle  which  runs  along  each  side  of  the 
vertebrae,  is  well  developed,  and  we  have  a  large  quantity 
of  meat  of  the  best  quality. 


18 


HAEEIS    ON   THE   PIG. 


This  form  also  affords  abundant  room  for  the  lungs, 
stomach,  and  intestines ;  and  it  is  on  the  capacity  of 
these  organs  to  convert  a  large  amount  of  comparatively 
cheap  food  into  a  large  quantity  of  flesh  and  fat  that  de- 
termines the  value  of  the  animal 

We  annex  a  portrait  of  a  tolerably  well-formed  pig, 
with  lines  showing  how  to  apply  the  test  above  alluded 

to.  The  nearer  he 
will  fill  the  rectangu- 
lar frame,  the  nearer 
he  approaches  to 
perfection  of  form. 
It  would  be  well,  for 
lr  farmers  to  place  a 
straight  cane  along 
the  back,  also  along 

Fig.  1.-TESTINC,  THE  *OEM  O*  A  PIO.          ^    ^^    shoul(Jers 

and  hams  of  their  pigs,  and  see  how  near  they  come  up  to 
the  desired  standard. 

The  length  of  a  pig  should  bear  a  certain  proportion  to 
his  breadth.  Many  farmers  object  to  the  improved  breeds, 
because  they  are  too  short.  In  point  of  fact,  however, 
they  are  often  longer  than  their  ill-bred  favorites.  They 
appear  short,  because  they  are  so  broad.  A  large-boned 
hog  is  longer  than  one  having  small  bones.  There  are  as 
many  vertebrae  in  the  shortest  Suffolk  as  in  the  longest 
Yorkshire. 

A  fine-boned  pig  cannot  be  long-bodied.  It  may  ap- 
pear long,  but  this  will  usually  be  because  it  is  narrow. 
Breadth  and  depth  are  of  far  greater  importance  than 
length.  Robert  Bakewell,  the  originator  of  the  improved 
Leicester  sheep,  and  one  of  the  most  skillful  and  expe- 
rienced breeders  in  the  world,  is  said  to  have  formed  a 
breed  of  pigs  that,  when  fat,  were  "nearly  equal  in 
height,  length,  and  thickness,  their  bellies  almost  touching 
the  ground,  the  eyes  being  deep  set  and  sunk  from  fat, 


THE   FORM    OF   A    GOOD   PIG.  19 

and  the  whole  carcass  appearing  to  be  a  solid  mass  of 
flesh."  Bakewell  left  no  record  of  his  mode  or  principles 
of  breeding,  but  the  following  sentence  from  the  descrip- 
tion of  his  pigs  above  quoted,  throws  light  on  the  point 
we  are  now  considering :  "  These  pigs  are  remarkably  fine- 
boned  and  delicate,  and  are  said  to  lay  on  a  larger  quan- 
tity of  meat,  in  proportion  to  bone  and  offal,  than  any  oth- 
er kind  known."  In  other  words,  Bakewell,  with  all  his 
skill,  could  not  obtain  fineness  of  bone,  and  length  too, 
any  more  than  a  builder  could  reduce  the  size  of  his 
bricks,  and  then  make  the  same  number  form  as  long  a 
wall.  What  he  probably  did,  was,  to  take  a  large  pig  and 
reduce  the  size  of  the  bones,  and  consequently  the  length 
of  body,  without  reducing  the  breadth  and  depth  of  the 
animal. 

In  a  common  sow,  to  be  crossed  with  a  thorough-bred 
boar,  length  of  body  is  often  very  desirable ;  but  in  a 
thorough-bred  pig  it  is  a  doubtful  quality,  as  indicating  a 
want  of  breadth  and  fineness  of  bone. 

The  head  of  a  pig  should  be  set  close  to  the  shoulders. 
The  broader  and  deeper  the  cheeks,  the  better,  as  next  to 
the  ham  and  shoulder  there  is  no  choicer  meat  on  the  pig. 
A  well-cooked  cheek  of  bacon,  with  roast  chicken,  is  a 
dish  for  an  epicure. 

The  snout  should  be  short  and  delicate,  and  the  ears 
small  and  fine.  A  thick,  heavy,  pendant  ear  is  an  indica- 
tion of  coarseness  and  is  never  desirable  in  a  thorough-bred 
pig.  It  should  be  small,  fine,  soft,  and  silky.  It  should  be 
well  set  on  the  head  and  lean  a  little  forward,  but  not  fall 
over.  An  ear  that  is  upright  indicates  an  unquiet  disposi- 
tion. 


20  HARRIS    ON   THE    PIG. 

CHAPTER    IV. 

DESIRABLE    QUALITIES    IN    A    PIG. 

As  the  domestic  hog  is  kept  solely  for  its  flesh  and  fat, 
the  pig  that  will  afford  the  greatest  amount  of  meat  and 
lard  of  the  best  quality  at  the  least  cost,  other  things  be- 
ing equal,  is  the  most  profitable  breed. 

It  has  been  well  said  that  Cincinnati  owes  its  wealth  to 
the  discovery  of  a  method  of  putting  15  bushels  of  corn 
into  a  three-bushel  barrel,  and  transporting  it  to  distant 
markets.  This  has  been  accomplished  by  means  of  the 
pig.  He  converts  7  bushels  of  corn  into  100  Ibs.  of  pork. 

In  accomplishing  this  result,  the  organ  of  first  import- 
ance is  the  stomach.  It  is  here  that  the  first  change  in 
this  wonderful  process  commences.  In  a  flouring  mill  we 
have  a  water-wheel  or  steam-engine  which  drives  the 
stones,  and  the  machinery  for  removing  the  bran  and  oth- 
er inferior  products  of  the  grain  from  the  fine  flour.  The 
capacity  of  the  establishment  is  determined  by  the  motive 
power  and  the  "  run  of  stones."  A  pig  is  a  mill  for  con- 
verting corn  into  pork.  The  stomach  is  at  once  the 
w;iter-vvheel  or  steam-engine,  and  the  stones  for  grinding 
the  grain, — and  the  motive  power,  which  runs  the  mill 
and  the  machinery,  is  derived  from  the  consumption  of  corn. 

Now,  if  we  furnish  merely  corn  enough  to  run  the  ma- 
chinery, and  put  no  grain  in  the  hopper,  we  lose  not  only 
the  use  of  the  mill,  but  of  all  the  grain  used  for  fuel. 

If  we  should  keep  the  mill  supplied  only  half  the  time, 
and  yet  keep  the  machinery  running  at  full  speed  night 
and  day,  (as  we  must  needs  do  in  the  case  of  an  animal) 
would  it  be  considered  good  management  ? 

Let  us  see.  Suppose  it  takes  75  Ibs.  of  corn  to  run  the 
machinery.  If  we  furnish  no  more  than  this,  we  get  noth- 
ing in  return.  If  we  furnish  100  Ibs.,  (say  75  Ibs.  for 
fuel  and  25  Ibs.  for  the  hopper,)  we  may  obtain,  say  20 


DESIRABLE    QUALITIES    IN   A   PIG.  21 

Ibs.  of  flour.  If  we  furnish  another  extra  25  Ibs.  to  the 
hopper,  or  125  Ibs.  in  all,  we  get  40  Ibs.  of  flour ;  if  we 
furnish  150  Ibs.,  we  get  60  Ibs.  of  flour.  In  other  words, 
150  Ibs.  of  corn  will  furnish  three  times  as  much  flour  as 
100  Ibs. 

It  may  be  said  that  more  power  would  be  required  to 
run  the  mill  when  it  is  grinding  than  when  it  is  running 
empty.  But  in  the  case  of  an  animal  it  is  doubtful  how 
far  this  objection  holds.  It  is  not  improbable  that  the 
conversion  of  each  additional  pound  of  corn  into  pork 
generates  the  amount  of  power  necessary  for  the  change. 
But  whether  this  be  so  or  not,  no  one  can  question  the 
advantage  to  be  derived  from  furnishing  all  the  grain  that 
the  mill  will  grind  and  manufacture. 

Of  the  desirable  qualities  in  a  pig,  therefore,  a  vigorous 
appetite  is  of  the  first  importance.  A  hog  that  will  not 
eat,  is  of  no  more  use  than  a  mill  that  will  not  grind.  And 
it  is  undoubtedly  true  that  the  more  a  pig  will  eat  in  pro- 
portion to  its  size,  provided  he  can  digest  and  assimilate 
it,  the  more  profitable  he  will  prove. 

The  next  desirable  quality  is,  perhaps,  quietness  of  dig- 
position.  The  blood  is  derived  from  the  food,  and  flesh  is 
derived  from  the  blood.  Animal  force  is  derived  from  the 
transformation  of  flesh.  The  more  of  this  is  used  in  un- 
necessary motions,  the  greater  the  demand  on  the  stomach, 
and  the  more  food  will  there  be  required  merely  to  sustain 
the  vital  functions — and  the  more  frequently  flesh  is 
transformed  and  formed  again,  the  tougher  and  less  pala- 
table it  becomes. 

This  quality,  or  quietness  of  disposition,  combined  with 
a  small  amount  of  useless  parts  or  offal,  has  been  the 
aim  of  all  modern  breeders.  Its  importance  will  readily 
be  perceived  if  we  assume  that  75  per  cent  of  the 
food  is  ordinarily  consumed  to  support  the  vital  func- 
tions, and  that  the  slight  additional  demand  of  only 
one-sixth  more  food,  is  required  for  the  extra  offal 


22  HARRIS    ON   THE    PIG. 

parts  and  unnecessary  activity.  Such  a  coarse,  restless 
animal  would  gain,  in  flesh  and  fat,  in  proportion  to  the 
food  consumed,  only  half  as  fast  as  the  quiet,  refined 
animal. 

A  little  calculation  will  show  this  to  be  true  in  theory, 
as  it  is  undoubtedly  true  in  practice.  Thus  take  two  pigs. 
No.  1  eats  100  Ibs.  of  corn,  75  Ibs.  of  which  are  required 
to  sustain  the  vital  functions.  He  gains,  say  20  Ibs. 

No.  2,  a  coarse,  restless  pig,  eats  100  Ibs.  of  corn,  87£ 
Ibs.  of  which  are  necessary  to  support  the  vital  functions. 

No.  1  has  25  Ibs.  of  food  over  and  above  the  amount 
required  to  sustain  the  vital  functions,  and  gains  20  Ibs.  of 
pork.  No.  2  has  only  12J  Ibs.,  and  consequently,  cannot 
produce  more  than  10  Ibs. 

To  assume  that  a  rough,  coarse,  savage,  ill-bred,  squeal- 
ing, mongrel  hog  will  require  only  one-sixth  more  food  to 
"run  his  machinery,"  than  a  quiet,  refined,  well-bred 
Berkshire,  Essex  or  Suffolk  pig  will  not  be  considered  ex- 
travagant ;  and  yet  it  undoubtedly  follows  that,  for  the 
food  consumed,  the  quiet  pig  will  gain  in  flesh  and  fat 
twice  as  fast  as  the  other.  If  in  addition  to  this  he  will 
eat  25per  cent  more  food,  he  will  gain  four  times  as  fast. 

The  two  great  aims  of  every  pig  breeder  should  be  to 
lessen  the  demands  on  the  stomach  for  offal  or  least  valu- 
able parts,  and  for  unnecessary  activity  on  the  one  hand, 
and  on  the  other  to  increase  the  power  of  the  stomach, 
and  digestive  and  assimilative  organs  as  much  as  possible. 


CHAPTER    V. 

LARGE  vs.  SMALL  BREEDS  AND  CROSSES. 

Mr.  Lawes'  experiments  on  the  different  breeds  of  sheep, 
prove  conclusively  that  well-bred  mutton  sheep  of  the  same 
age,  consume  food  in  almost  exact  proportion  to  their  size 


LARGE  VS.  SMALL  BREEDS  AND  CROSSES.       23 

or  live  weight.  Two  Cotswold  sheep,  weighing  120  Ibs. 
each,  will  eat  as  much  food  as  three  Southdown  sheep, 
weighing  80  Ibs.  each.  But  the  two  Cotswolds  will  gain 
much  more  than  the  three  Southdowns.  The  average  in- 
crease for  one  hundred  Ibs.  live  weight  was,  with  the  Cots- 
wold,  2  Ibs.  2  oz.  per  week ;  and  with  the  Southdowns, 
1  Ib.  lOf  oz.  per  week — both  breeds  having  precisely  the 
same  food.  In  other  words,  two  Cotswold  sheep,  weigh- 
ing 120  Ibs.  each,  would  eat  the  same  amount  of  food  as 
three  Southdowns  weighing  80  Ibs.  each;  but  the  two 
Cotswolds  would  gain  17  Ibs.  each,  while  the  three  South- 
downs  gained  only  9  Ibs.  each.  Where  Cotswold  mutton 
brings  as  much  per  pound  as  the  Southdown,  it  is  evident 
that  the  Cotswolds  are  the  more  profitable  breed  for  fat- 
tening. 

We  know  of  no  similar  experiments  on  the  different 
breeds  of  pigs.  Reasoning  from  analogy,  we  might  con- 
clude that,  as  the  large  Cotswold  sheep  gained  much  more, 
for  the  food  consumed,  than  the  small  Southdowns,  the 
large  Yorkshire  pigs  would  gain  much  more,  for  the  food 
consumed,  than  the  small  Suffolks. 

This  may  or  may  not  be  true.  If  it  should  prove  to  be 
a  fact,  we  should  conclude  that  a  pig  of  the  large  breed 
ate  much  more  food  over  and  above  the  amount  required 
to  keep  up  the  animal  heat  and  sustain  the  vital  functions, 
than  a  pig  of  the  small  breed;  and,  as  we  have  attempted 
to  show  in  a  previous  chapter,  the  large  pig  would,  in  such 
a  case,  gain  much  more  in  proportion  to  the  food  consum- 
ed, than  the  small  pig  of  the  same  age. 

There  can  be  no  doubt  that  a  large  pig,  other  things 
being  equal,  will  eat  more  food  than  a  small  pig  of  the 
same  age. 

It  is  equally  true  that  a  large  pig,  at  ordinary  temper- 
atures, will  not  require,  in  proportion  to  its  weight,  as 
much  food  to  keep  up  the  animal  heat  as  a  small  pig.  A 
pig  weighing  100  Ibs.  will  not  radiate  as  much  heat  as  two 


24  HARRIS    ON   THE   PIG. 

pigs  weighing  50  Ibs.  each.  The  larger  the  pig,  the  less 
surface  is  there  exposed  to  the  atmosphere  in  proportion  to 
weight. 

It  follows,  therefore,  that  a  large  pig,  eating  more  food 
and  losing  less  animal  heat,  would  have  a  greater  amount 
of  food  to  be  appropriated  to  the  formation  of  fat  and 
flesh,  in  proportion  to  live  weight,  than  a  smaller  pig  of 
the  same  age. 

So  far  as  this  kind  of  reasoning  goes,  therefore,  it  would 
seem  that  the  large  breeds  of  pigs  are  preferable  to  the 
small  breeds. 

This  conclusion  is  opposed  to  the  opinion  of  a  large 
number  of  very  intelligent  and  observing  pig  breeders 
and  feeders.  There  can  be  no  doubt  that  the  weight 
of  testimony,  so  far  as  the  production  of  a  given  amount 
of  pork  from  a  given  amount  of  food  is  concerned,  is 
against  the  large  breeds. 

The  truth  of  the  matter  is  probably  this :  The  small 
breeds  mature  earlier  than  the  large  breeds.  This  in  itself 
is  a  great  advantage.  The  pigs  are  not  only  ready  for  the 
butcher  at  an  earlier  age,  but  as  animal  life  is  always  at- 
tended by  a  constant  transformation  of  tissue,  every  day 
we  gain  in  time,  saves  the  amount  of  food  necessary  to 
supply  this  waste  and  keep  up  the  animal  heat. 

Early  maturity,  therefore,  is  one  of  the  principal  aims 
of  the  breeder  and  feeder.  But  early  maturity  is  always 
attended  with  a  diminution  of  size  ;  and  the  small  breeds 
owe  their  value,  not  to  their  small  size,  but  to  their  early 
maturity  and  tendency  to  fatten  while  young. 

In  point  of  fact,  however,  the  term  Small  Breed  or 
Large  Breed,  as  used  by  our  Agricultural  Societies,  has 
no  very  distinct  meaning.  The  New  York  State  Agricul- 
tural Society  offers  prizes  for  two  classes  of  pigs — and 
only  two. 

1st.  "  Large  Breed ;  which,  when  full  grown  and  fatten- 
ed, will  weigh  over  450  Ibs.  dressed." 


LARGE    VS.    SMALL   BREEDS    AND    CROSSES.  25 

2d.  "  Small  Breed ;  which,  when  full  grown  and  fatten- 
ed, will  not  weigh  over  450  Ibs.  dressed." 

Exhibitors  seem  to  have  entered  their  pigs  in  the  class 
for  small  breeds  one  year,  and  in  that  for  large  the  next. 
Berkshire,  Essex,  Suffolk  and  Yorkshire  have  all  been  ex- 
hibited, first  in  one  class  and  then  in  another,  and  fre- 
quently the  same  breeder  will  exhibit  Berkshire  or  Essex 
at  the  same  fair  in  both  classes. 

The,  same  state  of  facts  seems  to  exist  in  England. 
There  are  Large  Yorkshires  and  Small  Yorkshires,  Large 
Berkshires  and  Small  Berkshires.  Of  late  years,  a 
new  class  of  "  Medium "  Breeds  has  been  formed  at  the 
Agricultural  Shows.  There,  as  here,  it  is  not  always  easy 
to  determine  the  class  to  which  a  particular  breed  belongs. 
An  English  breeder  of  "  Small  Yorks,"  says  he  can  "  get 
them  up  profitably  to  600  Ibs.  when  thick  bacon  is  required." 

On  the  other  hand,  the  advocates  of  the  Large  York- 
shires claim  that  pigs  of  this  breed  "  attain  a  good  bacon 
size  at  a  very  early  age,  and  when  killed,  they  cut  more 
lean  meat  in  proportion  to  the  fat  than  the  smaller  breeds." 

A  sow  of  this  breed,  which  took  the  Prize  at  Rother- 
ham,  in  1856,  age  three  years  and  two  months,  weighed 
1,315  Ibs.* 

The  author  above  quoted,  says :  "  The  large  breed  is 
equally  valuable  for  making  large  or  small  bacon,  that  be- 
ing only  a  matter  of  age ;  as  porkers  of  a  few  weeks  old, 
they  are  un equaled ;  their  flesh  being  very  rich  and  well- 
flavored,  and  not  so  fat  as  the  small  breeds." 

On  the  other  hand,  Mr.  George  Mangles,  of  Givendale, 
Ripon,  one  of  the  largest  and  most  successful  breeders 
and  feeders  in  Yorkshire,  furnishes  the  London  Farmers' 
Magazine,  for  June,  1861,  the  following  interesting  ac- 
count of  his  experience : 

"  About  ten  years  ago,  I  commenced  pig-keeping  on  a 

*  Youatt  on  the  Pig.    By  S.  Sidney.     London  :  ISfljO.    Page  14. 
2 


20  HAKKIS    ON  THE    PIG. 

larger  scale  than  the  generality  of  farmers.  What  I 
wanted,  and  what  my  farm  required,  was  a  quantity  of 
good  manure.  I  first  tried  buying  stores  in  the  neighbor- 
hood, but  soon  gave  that  up,  as  they  were  chiefly  of  the 
large  breed,  and  required  too  much  food  and  liberty.  I 
had  no  alternative  but  to  breed  my  own  stores.  With  a 
view  to  find  a  profitable  sort,  I  purchased  a  few  of  the 
best  from  different  breeders  of  note,  and  kept  them  sepa- 
rate, and  also  a  few  stores  of  each  sort  together,  living  on 
the  same  kind  of  food.  I  also  tried  the  different  crosses ; 
but,  to  get  the  cross,  I  must  have  pure  stock  at  first ;  so  I 
considered  it  best  to  keep  to  a  pure  breed.  I  tried  the 
Essex,  the  black  Leicester,  the  Berkshire,  the  large  York- 
shire, the  small  Yorkshire,  and  lastly  the  Cumberland 
small  breed.  I  must  confess  that  at  the  outset  I  had  but 
little  experience  to  guide  me ;  not  understanding  the  prin- 
ciples of  breeding,  I  committed  many  foolish  mistakes, 
which  I  paid  dearly  enough  for ;  and  if  these  few  lines 
should  meet  the  eye  of  any  one  wishful  to  form  and  keep 
a  breed  of  pigs,  I  shall  be  glad  for  such  a  man  to  profit 
by  the  experience  of  another.  I  never  expected  pigs  to 
live  on  nothing :  because  the  manure  made  from  pigs  liv- 
ing on  nothing  would  be  worth  nothing,  and  it  was  good 
manure  I  was  aiming  at.  I  found  any  breed  pay,  except 
the  large  breeds.  All  the  crosses  having  the  small  breed 
for  the  sire  always  paid :  whichever  breed  is  intended  to 
be  kept,  the  best  bred  ones  should  be  obtained.  I  do  not 
advocate  breeding  in-and-in ;  but  I  do  advocate,  if  you 
want  to  maintain  the  same  style  of  animal,  generation  after 
generation,  to  cross  with  the  same  blood,  but  as  far  dis- 
tant as  you  can  get  it.  I  do  not  know  a  better  sign  of 
pure  breeding  than  a  litter  of  pigs  all  alike,  or  three  or 
four  sisters  breeding  alike  to  the  same  boar.  "When  the 
breed  is  obtained,  one  thing  must  always  be  kept  in  mind, 
the  first  boar  a  sow  is  put  to,  influences  the  succeeding  lit- 
ters for  three  or  four  times. 


LARGE  VS.  SMALL  BREEDS  AND  CROSSES.       27 

"After  the  breeding,  come  the  feeding  and  attention. 
Milk  and  fat  must  go  in  at  the  mouth  before  it  makes  its 
appearance  in  the  animal.  I  do  not  believe  those,  who  say 
their  pigs  get  fat  on  nothing.  I  know  from  experience 
that  one  pig  would  live  where  another  would  starve,  and 
what  it  would  take  to  make  one  large-bred  pig  fat,  would 
make  several  smaller-bred  ones  'up.'  A  great  help  to 
profitable  pig-keeping  is  warmth,  and  confinement,  and 
regularity  in  feeding ;  as  "by  also  keeping  the  skin  of  the 
animal  clean  by  washing  and  brushing  occasionally.  If 
two  animals  of  the  same  litter  be  put  into  two  different 
sties,  and  have  the  same  quantity  of  food  each,  the  one 
that  is  kept  warm  and  with  the  skin  clean  will  gain  more 
weight  than  the  other.  I  found  that  out  one  winter,  when 
Jack  Frost  was  astir,  before  I  put  up  a  new  pig-shed.  My 
man  was  feeding  a  lot  of  pigs  alike,  tfnly  some  were  in 
common  sties  and  others  in  a  warm  shed.  The  difference 
was  very  striking :  those  kept  warm  fed  nearly  half  as  fast 
again  as  the  others.  This  induced  me  to  build  a  long 
covered  shed  sixty  feet  long  and  eighteen  feet  wide,  that 
would  hold  seventy  porkers  or  fifty  bacon  pigs,  where, 
when  the  thermometer  has  been  below  freezing  point  out- 
side, it  has  inside  been  very  warm  and  comfortable.  The 
pigs  have  their  food  warm  in  winter,  and  are  never  starv- 
ed by  the  cold ;  they  are  bedded  with  clean  straw  every 
otlier  day,  and  the  shed  is  kept  rather  dark.  The  manure 
made  is  of  first  quality  and  fit  to  use  for  turnips. 

"  Perhaps  some  of  the  readers  of  this  paper  would  like 
to  know  something  about  the  dietary  of  my  pigs.  I  have 
not  included  sugar  in  my  list  of  feeding  ingredients.  I 
have  never  gone  higher  than  new  milk,  which  they  always 
take  without  sweetening.  In  the  first  place,  I  must  say 
that  I  exhibit  at  a  few  of  the  leading  agricultural  meet- 
ings, and  am  generally,  if  not  at  the  top  of  the  ladder, 
not  many  spokes  off.  I  keep  my  breeding  stock  different 
to  my  show  stock,  as  I  do  not  like  breeding  animals  to  be 


28  HABRIS    ON   THE    PIG. 

over-fat ;  but  show  animals  are  obliged  to  be  fat,  or  the 
judges  will  pass  them  over.  The  over-feeding  of  prize 
animals  is  a  very  great  evil,  but  one  that  can  not  be  very 
well  remedied.  A  show  of  lean  breeding  animals  would 
be  a  very  lean  show  indeed  in  many  respects :  an  exhib- 
itor must  always  sacrifice  some  of  his  best  animals  to 
please  the  public  fancy.  I  think  there  is  less  risk  in  fat 
breeding  pigs  than  any  other  animal.  I  have  had  several 
very  fat  sows  pig,  and  never  lost  any.  I  gave  them  noth- 
ing but  a  very  little  bran  and  water  a  week  before  pig- 
ging, and  but  little  after  for  a  week,  while  I  put  a  little 
castor  oil  in  their  food  directly  after  pigging.  I  have  the 
greatest  trouble  in  reducing  the  male  animals,  as  they  will 
nearly  hunger  to  death  before  they  will  part  with  their 
fat.  I  generally  turn  them  into  a  large  yard,  and  give 
them  plenty  of  water,  and  a  wurzel  or  two  every  day,  or 
turn  them  out  to  grass  in  summer. 

"  To  my  regular  breeding  pigs  and  stores,  I  am  giving 
boiled  rape-cake  and  barley-meal,  one  feed  a  day,  and  one 
feed  of  raw  potatoes  or  wurzel ;  and  if  in  summer,  I  turn 
them  to  grass,  or  soil  them  with  clover  in  the  yards. 

"  I  soil  a  good  many  every  year.  A  week  or  two  be- 
fore the  sow  pigs,  I  contrive  to  put  her  into  a  loose  box, 
with  a  railing  around  to  keep  her  from  crushing  the  pigs. 
I  can  always  tell  when  she  is  going  to  pig  by  trying  if  she 
has  milk  in  the  paps :  if  a  sow  gives  milk  freely,  she  will 
pig  any  time.  I  then  contrive  to  be,  or  have  some  one, 
near  at  hand,  to  take  the  pigs  away  as  she  pigs  them,  as 
the  sows  are  sometimes  uneasy  and  will  crush  them.  Af- 
ter she  has  pigged,  I  feed  her  with  warm  water  and  bran, 
and  then  give  her  the  pigs  and  leave  them,  because  the 
less  they  are  disturbed  the  better.  I  always  feed  the  sow 
sparingly  at  first,  as  I  have  sometimes  found,  when  a  sow 
has  been  fed  too  liberally  at  first,  the  flow  of  milk  is 
greater  than  the  pigs  can  take;  consequently  the  udder  be- 
comes hard,  and  the  sow  is  very  uneasy,  and  will  scarcely 


LARGE  VS.  SMALL  BREEDS  AND  CROSSES.       29 

let  the  pigs  suck  her.  If  such  is  the  case,  the  best  way  is 
to  rub  the  udder  well  with  the  hand  three  or  four  times  a 
day.  Small-bred  sows  are  commonly  very  quiet  and 
tractable. 

"  Generally  when  the  pigs  are  three  weeks  or  a  month 
old,  they  will  scour,  if  proper  care  has  not  been  paid  to 
the  sow's  feeding.  I  never  could  get  a  man  that  could 
get  me  a  litter  through  without  scouring.  I  have  tried 
different  plans,  but  the  one  I  have  found  most  successful 
is,  to  always  give  the  sow  a  tablespoonful  of  the  following 
mixture  in  her  food :  Mix  together  2  Ibs.  of  fenugreek,  2 
Ibs.  of  anise-seed,  -J  Ib.  of  gentain,  2  oz.  carbonate  of  soda, 
and  2  Ibs.  of  powdered  chalk.  The  sow  gets  very  fond 
of  this,  and  the  little  pigs,  too,  like  it.  Give  the  pigs  also 
plenty  of  coal  ashes  to  root  amongst.  I  prefer  oats, 
wheat,  and  a  little  barley  ground  together,  for  sows  giving 
milk.  I  have  never  tried  the  sugar  diet,  but  I  have  found 
new  milk  fresh  from  the  cow  to  work  wonders  in  a  short 
time. 

"  Warmth,  cleanliness,  and  regularity  in  feeding,  a  lit- 
tle good  food  and  often,  are  the  main  secrets  in  rearing 
young  pigs.  I  never  like  to  see  food  left  in  a  pig's  trough  : 
just  give  what  they  can  eat  up  and  no  more.  When  pigs 
are  put  up  to  feed  they  should  be  kept  warm  and  quiet. 
Five  porkers  or  three  bacon  pigs  are  plenty  together.  The 
pen  they  are  kept  in  need  not  be  very  large,  but  the  pig8 
should  be  rung,  and  a  little  fresh  bedding  spread  about 
them  every  second  day.  Pigs  like  to  be  kept  warm,  but 
plenty  of  fresh  air  must  be  allowed  to  circulate  through 
the  pens,  or  else  disease  will  soon  show  itself." 

According  to  the  editor  of  Youatt  on  the  Pig,  Mr. 
Mangles  "  is  a  plain  farmer,  feeding  pigs  for  profit,"  and 
his  statements  will  be  received  with  all  the  more  confi- 
dence on  this  account.  We  give  the  details  of  his  manage- 
ment, not  only  because  they  are  interesting  and  instructive 
in  themselves,  but  because  the  system  of  management  and 


30  HAEKIS    ON   THE    PIG. 

feeding  have  often  more  to  do  with  the  profits  of  pig 
breeding  and  feeding  than  the  mere  question  of  large  or 
small  breeds. 

On  page  66  we  give  a  portrait  of  one  of  his  Prize  pigs 
of  the  Small  Breed,  from  a  steel  engraving  in  the  London 
Farmers'  Magazine  for  June,  1861. 

It  will  be  observed  that  Mr.  Mangles  says  he  "  found 
any  breed  pay  except  the  large  breed."  "  All  the  crosses 
having  the  small  breed  for  the  sire  always  paid." 

To  the  same  effect  is  the  testimony  of  Mr.  Hewitt  Davis, 
a  name  familiar  to  all  readers  of  English  agricultural  liter- 
ature. He  says: 

"  My  experience  in  stock  keeping  has  been  so  decidedly 
in  favor  of  breeding  and  fatting  of  pigs,  that  I  may,  with 
advantage  to  many  who  think  differently,  give  some  ac- 
count of  my  management.  That  I  should  do  so  is  the 
more  necessary  from  farmers  having  generally  a  very  low 
opinion  of  the  profit  to  be  gained  from  the  breeding  of 
pigs,  and  I  cannot  but  ascribe  their  failures  too  often  to 
the  negligence  with  which  this  stock  is  looked  after.  On 
an  arable  farm  of  200  acres  my  stock  has  been  12  sows 
and  two  boars ;  and  their  produce,  according  to  the  season, 
consisted  either  of  rising  stores  running  in  the  yards,  or 
on  the  leas  or  stubbles ;  or  of  porkers  in  the  sties  fatting 
for  the  market.  From  March  to  October  my  stock  may 
be  said  to  have  lived  loose  on  store  keep,  principally  green 
food ;  and  from  October  to  March  (the  parent  stock  ex- 
cepted)  in  sties,  fatting  on  roots  and  boiled  corn.  The 
sows  on  an  average  gave  me,  one  with  another,  14  pigs  a 
year  each,  so  that  in  summer  my  stock  was  about  100  up- 
on store  keep,  and  in  winter  about  200,  of  which  180  were 
in  sties  finishing  for  market.  The  spring  litters  went  off 
in  January  and  February  as  large  porkers  of  30  stones 
(240  Ibs.)  each,  and  the  autumn-born  as  small  porkers  of 
about  7  stones  (56  Ibs.)  each ;  the  first  realizing  about  £5 
each,  and  the  last  about  30s.  each,  so  that  each  sow  re- 


LARGE   VS.   SMALL   BREEDS   AND   CROSSES.  31 

turned  about  £45  a  year ;  and  this  amount  there  is  no  dif- 
ficulty in  obtaining,  large  pork  selling  at  3s.  4d.  per  stone 
of  8  Ibs.  (II  cts.  per  lb.),  and  small  pork  at  4s.  4d.  (14  cts. 
per  lb.).  Success,  in  the  raising  of  pig  stock,  I  found,  was  to 
be  attained  only  by  attention  to  fully  carrying  out  the  fol- 
lowing principles — viz.,  the  accommodation  for  pigs  must 
be  sunny,  dry,  sheltered  from  cold  wind,  and  yet  well  ven- 
tilated. Their  sties  being  carefully  protected  on  the  north, 
east,  and  west  sides,  and  open  only  on  the  south ;  so  that 
whilst  no  cold  winds  can  have  access,  there  should  be  no 
obstruction  to  the  sun  shining  in  and  on  to  their  beds. 
The  pigs  must  be  regularly  and  carefully  attended ;  suf- 
ficient should  be  kept  to  wholly  occupy  their  attendant's 
time,  and  to  them  should  that  attendant's  time  and  atten- 
tion be  wholly  given.  An  old  man  is  better  than  a  young 
one ;  and  this  is  an  office  suited  to  one  infirm  or  past  gen- 
eral labor.  The  sows  must  never  be  permitted  to  farrow 
earlier  than  the  end  of  March,  nor  later  than  October.  The 
cold  of  winter  is  fatal  to  many  farrows,  and  young  pigs 
are  ill  able  to  bear  up  against  it.  Provide  roots  (potatoes, 
kohlrabi,  swedes,  carrots,  and  mangel  wurzel)  for  their 
keep,  aided  with  boiled  corn,  from  September  to  June ; 
and  tares,  clover,  beans,  and  maize,  green,  from  May  to 
September.  Breed  from  large,  strong  sows,  with  boars 
of  the  finer  breed,  having  in  view  the  gaining  of  large  far- 
rows, good  nursing,  and  a  rapid  attainment  of  weight ; 
look  to  the  mother  for  nursing,  and  the  father  to  correct 
coarseness  of  form  in  the  mother.  Attached  to  the  sties 
have  a  boiling-house  with  copper  and  food  cisterns ;  and 
in  front  of  the  sties  a  yard  for  the  pigs  to  be  turned  into. 
Attention  to  these  points  makes  all  the  difference  between 
profit  and  loss." 

The  point  in  Mr.  Davis5  statement  to  which  we  wish  to 
call  particular  attention  is  this :  "  Breed  from  large, 
strong  sows,  with  boars  of  the  finer  breed,  having  in  view 
the  gaining  of  large  farrows,  good  nursing,  and  a  rapid 


32  HAEEIS    ON  THE   PIG. 

attainment  of  weight ;  look  to  the  mother  for  nursing, 
and  the  father  to  correct  coarseness  of  form  in  the  mother." 

In  other  words,  aim  to  get  the  digestive  powers  of  the 
large  breed  in  the  body  of  a  small,  highly  refined  pig. 
Increase  the  supply  of  food  and  lessen  the  demand  upon 
it  for  everything  except  the  formation  of  flesh  and  fat. 

It  will  be  found  that,  consciously  or  unconsciously,  all 
the  eminently  successful  pig  feeders  have  aimed  to  attain 
this  result. 

The  question  of  Large  vs.  Small  Breeds,  therefore,  can 
only  be  answered  by  taking  these  objects  into  considera- 
tion. We  need  both  breeds.  The  large  breed  to  give  us 
sows,  and  the  small  breed  to  give  us  boars.  It  is  a  mis- 
take to  refine  and  reduce  the  size  of  the  large  breed,  and 
then  to  breed  from  these  "  improved  "  pigs  of  the  large 
breed.  To  produce  pigs  merely  for  the  butcher,  we  should 
resort  to  crosses  with  a  large,  vigorous,  unpampered  sow 
put  to  the  finest,  thorough-bred  boar  of  the  small  breeds 
that  can  be  obtained.  The  larger  the  sow  and  the  smaller 
the  boar,  the  more  will  the  little  pigs  be  able  to  eat  in  pro- 
portion to  their  size,  and  the  greater  will  be  their  growth 
in  proportion  to  the  food  consumed. 

Mr.  John  Coate,  a  breeder  of  "  Improved  Dorsets,"  who 
took  the  Gold  Medal,  five  years  in  succession,  at  the  Smith- 
field  Club  Show,  for  the  best  pair  of  pigs,  says : 

"  Crosses  answer  well  for  profit  to  the  dairyman,  as  you 
get  more  constitution  and  quicker  growth." 

One  of  the  most  extensive  farmers  in  West  Norfolk 
writes  to  Mr.  Sidney :  "  The  cross  between  the  Berks  boar 
and  Norfolk  sow  (white),  like  all  cross  breeds,  is  most 
profitable  to  the  feeder,  but  we  must  have  pure  breeds 
first."  And  Mr.  S.  adds :  "  This  Norfolk  opinion  is  con- 
firmed by  all  my  correspondents.  The  Berkshire  pig  is 
in  favor  in  every  dairy  district,  either  pure  or  as  a  cross, 
but  chiefly  as  a  cross." 

Again,  the  same  author  says :  "  The  Improved  Essex  is 


LARGE  VS.  SMALL  BREEDS  AND  CROSSES.       33 

one  of  the  best  pigs  of  the  small  black  breeds,  well  calcu- 
lated for  producing  pork  and  hams  of  the  finest  quality 
for  fashionable  markets  ;  but  its  greatest  value  is  as  a  cross 
for  giving  quality  and  maturity  to  black  pigs  of  a  coarser, 
hardier  kind.  It  occupies,  with  respect  to  the  black 
breeds,  the  same  position  that  the  small  Cumberland- Yorks 
do  as  to  the  white  breeds — that  is  to  say,  an  improved 
Essex  boar  is  sure  to  improve  the  produce  of  any  large 
dark  sow." 

Again:  "The  Berkshire  breed  have  benefited  much 
from  the  improved  Essex  cross.  The  best  Devonshire 
pigs  have  a  large  infusion  of  this  strain.  The  improved 
Dorsets,  the  most  successful  black  pigs  ever  shown  at  the 
Smithfield  Club  Shows,  have  borrowed  their  heads,  at 
least  from  the  Boxted  [Essex]  breed." 

A  Bedfordshire  farmer  writes :  "  The  Woburn  breed 
described  by  Youatt  was  a  good  sort  of  pig,  of  no  partic- 
ular character,  except  great  aptitude  to  fatten.  They 
were  discontinued  in  consequence  of  the  sows  being  very 
bad  sucklers,  in  favor  of  a  cross-bred  animal,  the  produce 
of  Berkshire  sows  and  white  Suffolk  boars,  the  best  that 
could  be  got.  These  are  prolific,  of  good  quality,  can  be 
fed  at  any  age  and  to  a  fair  medium  weight.  A  cross 
like  this  pays  the  farmer  best." 

Mr.  Thomas  Wright  says,  the  cross  of  the  Berkshire 
with  the  Tarn  worth  "  produces  the  most  profitable  bacon 
pigs  in  the  kingdom,  the  Berkshire  blood  giving  an  extra- 
ordinary tendency  to  feed,  and  securing  the  early  maturity 
in  which  alone  the  Tamworth  breed  is  deficient.  The 
cross  of  the  Berkshire  boar  with  large  white  sows  has  been 
found  to  produce  most  satisfactory  results  to  plain  farm- 
ers." 

The  editor  of  the  work  from  which  these  extracts  are 

made  says,  that  the  current  of  opinion  among  English 

farmers,  both  as  regards  sheep  and  pigs,  is  towards  crosses. 

"  Breeding  pure-bred  stock  pays  well  as  a  separate  busi- 

2* 


3  i  HARRIS    OX   THE   PIG. 

ness,  if  judiciously  conducted;  but  the  ordinary  tenant 
farmer  will  generally  find  that  a  cross-bred  sheep,  a  cross- 
bred pig,  and  even  a  cross-bred  ox,  in  the  first  cross,  fat- 
tens more  profitably  than  a  pure-bred  animal." 

That  this  is  the  general  opinion  among  practical  farmers 
there  can  be  no  doubt.  But  there  is  no  advantage  in 
crossing  merely  for  the  sake  of  crossing.  There  should 
be  an  object  in  view.  We  should  aim  to  improve  the 
form,  early  maturity  and  fattening  qualities  of  the  off- 
spring. In  doing  this,  the  tendency  always  is  towards 
reducing  the  size.  Bakewell  reduced  the  size  of  the  Lei- 
cester sheep,  and  Ellman  of  the  Southdowns.  Fisher 
Hobbs  reduced  the  size  of  the  original  Essex  pigs  by  using 
Lord  Western's  Neapolitan-Essex  boars  on  selected  Essex 
sows  of  large  size,  with  good  constitutions,  and  enormous 
eaters.  The  Berkshire  pig  was  originally  "  a  much  larger 
and  coarser  animal  than  now."  The  small  Leicesters  were 
"  the  great  improvers  of  the  gigantic  Yorks." 

"  What,  then,"  it  may  bo  asked,  "  have  we  gained  by  the 
improvement  ?" — We  have  gained  this :  While  the  size  to 
which  the  animal  would  attain  at  maturity  has  been  reduced, 
yet  we  can  get  a  much  greater  weight,  with  less  offal,  in 
a  given  time,  and  with  a  far  less  consumption  of  food. 
An  improved  Essex  pig  at  three  years  old  will  not  weigh 
as  much  as  the  original  unimproved  pig  at  the  same  age, 
and  with  the  same  food.  But  at  one  year  old  the  improv- 
ed Essex  can  be  made  to  weigh  as  much  as  the  other  would 
at  eighteen  months  or  two  years.  They  have,  or  ought 
to  have,  the  digestive  powers  of  the  large,  old  breed,  com- 
bined with  the  small  bones,  little  offal,  early  maturity, 
and  fattening  qualities  of  the  Neapolitan  Essex.  They 
can  eat  a  large  quantity  of  food,  and  convert  it  rapidly 
into  pork  of  the  highest  quality. 

We  say  they  ought  to  be  great  eaters,  and  have  power- 
ful digestive  organs.  But  the  high  feeding  necessary  to 
develop  the  fattening  qualities  in  a  breed,  is  apt  to  weaken 


THE   VALUE   OF   A   THOROUGH-BRED   PIG.  35 

the  digestive  organs ;  and  it  is  best,  in  raising  pigs  for  the 
butchers,  to  breed  from  large,  healthy,  vigorous  sows,  and 
a  thorough-bred  highly  refined  boar  of  a  small  breed. 
Such  a  cross  will  furnish  grades  that  will  eat  more  and 
fatten  more  rapidly  than  the  thorough-breds. 

To  cross  thorough-breds  is  absurd.  There  is  nothing  to 
be  gained  by  it  that  cannot  be  obtained  by  breeding  from 
common  or  grade  sows  with  a  thorough-bred  boar ;  be- 
sides thorough-breds  are  always  more  costly  than  common 
stock  or  grades.  That  a  cross,  for  instance,  between  a 
thorough-bred,  highly  refined  Essex  boar  and  a  thorough- 
bred Berkshire  sow  would  afford  healthier,  hardier,  and 
more  profitable  pigs  for  the  butcher  than  either  thorough- 
bred Essex  or  thorough-bred  Berkshires,  may  be  true. 
It  is  not  an  easy  matter  to  maintain  the  health  and  high 
character  of  any  of  our  improved  breeds.  In-and-in- 
breeding,  especially  with  pigs,  leads  to  degeneracy ;  and 
all  pig  breeders  find  it  necessary  to  introduce  a  new  strain 
of  blood,  either  from  animals  bred  distinct  on  their  own 
farm,  or,  what  is  considered  better,  from  the  same  breed 
kept  in  another  section  of  country.  By  judicious  selection, 
in  this  way,  the  breed  can  be  maintained  or  improved. 
For  the  same  reason,  a  cross  between  two  distinct  breeds, 
may  give  a  litter  of  pigs  better  than  either  of  the  parents.  • 
But  this  is  not  only  an  expensive  way  of  raising  pigs  for 
the  butcher,  but  equally  good,  if  not  better  pigs  can  be  ob- 
tained by  using  a  thorough-bred  boar  on  grade,  or  common 
sows,  selected  with  judgment. 


CHAPTER    VI. 

THE    VALUE    OF    A    THOROUGH-BRED    PIG. 

It  cannot  be  denied  that  many  farmers  in  the  United 
States  have  purchased  thorough-bred  pigs,  and  after  keep- 
ing them  a  few  years,  have  given  them  up  in  disgust.  One 


36  HABEIS    ON   THE   PIG. 

cause  of  this  result  may  be  found  in  the  erroneous  ideas 
prevalent  in  regard  to  the  object  of  keeping  improved 
thorough-bred  animals.  No  farmer  could  afford  to  keep  a 
herd  of  high-bred  Duchess  Shorthorns  simply  for  the  pur- 
pose of  raising  beef  for  the  butcher.  Their  value  consists 
in  their  capacity  to  convert  a  large  amount  of  highly 
nutritious  food  into  a  large  amount  of  valuable  beef,  and 
in  the  power  they  have  of  transmitting  this  quality  to  their 
offspring  when  crossed  with  ordinary  cows.  It  is  in  this 
last  respect  that  pedigree  is  so  important.  But  the  former 
quality  is  due  in  a  great  degree  to  persistent  high  feeding 
for  several  generations.  Were  they  submitted  to  ordinary 
food  and  treatment,  especially  when  young,  they  would 
rapidly  deteriorate.  But  put  one  of  these  splendid  Short- 
horn bulls  to  a  carefully  selected  ordinary  cow,  and  we 
get  a  grade  Shorthorn  that,  with  ordinary  good  feed  and 
treatment,  will  prove  highly  profitable  for  the  butcher. 

The  same  is  true  of  improved  thorough-bred  pigs. 
Their  valuable  qualities  have  been  produced  by  persistent 
high  feeding,  and  by  selecting  from  their  offspring  those 
best  adapted  to  high  feeding.  Pigs  that  grew  slowly  were 
rejected,  while  those  which  grew  rapidly  and  matured 
early  were  reserved  to  breed  from.  In  this  way  these  quali- 
ties became  established  in  the  breed ;  and  these  qualities 
cannot  be  maintained  without  good  care  and  good  feeding. 

In  the  case  of  pigs,  we  could  well  afford  to  give  the 
necessary  food  to  fatten  thorough-bred  pigs  for  the  butch- 
er. But  we  cannot  afford  to  raise  the  young  thorough- 
breds for  this  purpose.  This  would  be  true,  even  if  we  could 
buy  thorough-bred  sows  and  boars  to  breed  from,  at  the 
price  of  ordinary  pigs.  The  reason  we  cannot  afford  to 
raise  highly  refined,  thorough-bred  pigs  for  ordinary  pur- 
poses, is,  that  if  we  feed  them  as  they  must  be  fed  to 
maintain  their  qualities,  they  are  apt  to  become  too  fat 
for  breeding ;  and  if  we  feed  and  treat  them  as  ordinary 
slow-growing  pigs  are  treated  and  fed,  they  lose  the  qual- 


GOOD   PIGS    XEED    GOOD    CAEE.  37 

ities  which  it  is  the  object  of  the  breeder  to  perpetuate. 
To  raise  highly  improved,  thorough- bred  pigs,  requires 
more  care,  skill,  judgment,  and  experience  than  we  can 
afford  to  bestow  on  animals  designed  to  be  sold  in  a  few 
months  to  the  butcher. 

The  object  of  raising  improved  thorough-bred  pigs  is 
simply  to  improve  our  common  stock.  They  should  be 
raised  for  this  purpose,  and  for  this  purpose  only.  The 
farmer  should  buy  a  thorough-bred  boar  from  some  relia- 
ble breeder,  and  select  the  largest  and  best  sows  he  has  to 
cross  him  with.  A  thorough-bred  boar  at  six  weeks  or  two 
months  old  can  usually  be  bought  for  $20  or  $25.  Such  a 
boar  in  a  neighborhood  is  capable  of  adding  a  thousand 
dollars  a  year  to  the  profits  of  the  farmers  who  use  him. 


CHAPTER    VII. 

GOOD  PIGS  NEED  GOOD  CARE. 

We  have  said  that  an  improved  thorough-bred  boar  in 
a  neighborhood  is  capable  of  greatly  improving  the  qual- 
ities of  the  common  stock,  and  adding  largely  to  the  prof- 
its of  feeding  pigs.  But  it  is  nevertheless  a  fact  that  such 
boars  have  been  used  by  some  farmers  with  little  or  no 
benefit. 

There  are  several  reasons  for  this :  There  are  farmers  in 
every  neighborhood  who  half  starve  their  breeding  sows. 
Some  of  them  do  this  deliberately,  from  a  conviction  that 
it  improves  their  breeding  and  suckling  qualities,  just  as 
some  dairymen  think  a  cow  must  be  kept  poor  if  she  is  to 
be  a  good  milker.  They  mistake  the  cause  for  the  effect. 
The  cow  is  thin  because  she  is  a  good  milker,  and  not  a 
good  milker  because  she  is  thin.  So  a  good  sow  gets  very 
thin  in  suckling  her  pigs,  but  it  is  a  great  mistake  to  keep 
her  thin,  in  order  to  make  her  a  good  breeder  and  suckler. 


38  HARRIS    OX   THE    PIG. 

We  have  kept  thorough-bred  boars  for  some  years,  and 
have  observed  that  those  farmers  who  are  liberal  feeders 
speak  highly  of  the  cross,  but  those  who  believe  in  starv- 
ing their  sows,  and  letting  the  little  pigs  get  their  own  liv- 
ing, assert  that  their  pigs  from  a  thorough-bred  boar  are 
no  better  than  those  from  common  boars. 

The  trouble  is  not  in  the  thorough-bred  boar,  but  in  the 
sows.  We  use  the  improved  thorough-bred  boar  in  order 
to  obtain  pigs  that  will  grow  rapidly.  But  a  pig  cannot 
grow  rapidly  unless  it  has  a  liberal  supply  of  food. 
It  would  be  absurd  to  buy  a  superior  mill,  and  then 
condemn  it  because  it  would  not  make  choice  family 
flour  out  of  bran ;  and  it  is  equally  absurd  to  expect  a  pig, 
however  perfect  in  form  and  fattening  qualities,  to  make 
flesh  and  fat  out  of  air  and  water. 

-A  sow  that  has  been  starved  all  her  life  cannot  produce 
vigorous,  healthy  pigs  of  good  size,  and  with  a  tendency 
to  grow  rapidly  and  mature  early.  To  put  such  a  sow  to 
an  improved,  thorough-bred  boar,  in  hopes  of  getting  good 
pigs,  is  as  foolish  as  it  is  to  hope  to  raise  a  large  crop  of 
choice  wheat  on  wet,  poor,  neglected  land,  simply  by  pur- 
chasing choice  seed.  There  is  no  such  easy  method  of 
improving  our  stock.  We  must  commence  by  adopting  a 
more  humane  system  of  feeding,  especially  while  the  pigs 
are  young.  Then  select  the  largest,  thriftiest,  and  best- 
formed  sows  and  put  them  to  a  good  thorough-bred  boar. 
Let  the  sow  be  regularly  and  liberally  fed,  without  mak- 
ing her  too  fat.  When  with  young  she  has  a  natural  ten- 
dency to  lay  up  fat,  and  it  sometimes  happens  that  a  sow 
gets  so  fat  that  her  pigs  are  small,  and  there  is  considera- 
ble danger  of  her  lying  on  them.  But  there  is  far  less 
danger  from  having  a  sow  fat  than  is  generally  thought. 

After  she  has  pigged,  feed  the  sow  on  warm  slops,  and 
other  food  favorable  for  the  production  of  milk.  Let  the 
little  ones  be  fed  liberally,  as  soon  as  they  commence  to 


GOOD   PIGS   NEED    GOOD    CARE.  \,         39 

eat,  and  then  the  beneficial  effect  of  using  a  good  thor- 
ough-bred boar  will  be  seen. 

"  But,"  it  may  be  asked,  "  will  not  such  liberal  feeding 
produce  good  pigs  without  using  a  thorough-bred  boar  ?" 
It  will  certainly  produce  better  pigs  than  the  starving 
system.  But  the  effect  of  an  improved  thorough-bred 
boar  in  such  a  case  is  wonderful.  We  would  rather  pay 
$5  apiece  for  such  pigs  at  two  months  old,  than  to  accept 
as  a  gift,  pigs  from  the  same  sow  got  by  a  common  boar. 
At  a  year  old  we  should  expect  the  grades,  in  proportion 
to  the  food  consumed,  to  bring  at  present  prices,  at  least 
$10  a  head  more  than  the  common  stock. 

We  have  a  neighbor  who  is  a  good  farmer,  and  who 
takes  delight  in  feeding  a  good  pen  of  pigs  every  fall  and 
early  winter.  He  "  did  not  believe  "  in  thorough-breds, 
and  always  spoke  of  my  Essex,  Berkshires,  and  Suffolks, 
as  "  nice  little  pigs."  After  watching  the  effect  of  a  cross 
with  good-sized  common  sows,  he  finally  concluded  to 
bring  a  young  sow  to  one  of  our  Essex  boars.  She  was 
16  months  old,  and  certainly  would  not  weigh  over  120 
Ibs.  It  was  then  our  turn  to  speak  of  little  pigs.  It  so 
happened  that  we  had  a  grade  Essex  sow  the  same  age 
that  accidentally  took  the  boar  at  nine  months  old,  and 
had  a  litter  of  nine  pigs.  She  was  very  fat,  and  lay  upon 
three  of  them.  The  remaining  six  were  as  handsome  pigs 
as  could  be  desired.  These  six  pigs  we  sold  at  two 
months  old,  for  feeding,  for  $35,  and  the  sow,  in  a  month 
after  they  were  weaned,  was  killed,  and  dressed  over  300 
Ibs.,  worth  at  the  time  14  cts.  per  Ib.  or  $42.  Here  then 
were  two  sows  of  the  same  age,  one  of  which  brought  in 
$77,  and  the  other  at  a  liberal  estimate  was  not  worth 
$20.  The  difference  was  due  simply  to  the  use  of  a  thor- 
ough-bred boar,  and  to  liberal  feeding.  The  one  was  half 
starved,  under  the  mistaken  impression  that  such  treatment 
was  best  for  breeding  sows.  The  mother  of  the  other 
was  liberally  fed,  and  her  little  ones  were  never  starved. 


40  HARMS    ON   THE    PIG. 

During  the  summer,  however,  they  had  nothing  but  the 
wash  and  milk  from  the  house,  and  the  run  of  a  good 
clover  pasture.  On  this,  the  whole  litter  kept  quite  fat, 
and  with  the  exception  of  this  one  sow,  that  proved  to  be 
with  pig,  were  sold  the  first  of  October  to  the  butcher, 
without  having  had  any  corn  or  grain  of  any  kind  for  sev- 
eral months.  The  sow  alluded  to  above,  out  of  this  litter, 
received  the  same  treatment ;  but  in  a  week  or  ten  days 
after  she  pigged,  we  commenced  to  fatten  her,  and  never  did 
sucking  pigs  thrive  better  ;  and  when  they  were  weaned, 
the  sow  was  actually  fat,  and  in  a  month  afterwards  was 
very  fat. 

Now  there  is  nothing  remarkable  in  all  this.  We  have 
had  pigs  do  very  much  better,  because  better  fed.  But 
it  certainly  enabled  us  to  silence  the  sneers  of  a  prejudiced 
farmer  against  liberal  feeding  and  thorough-bred  pigs. 

Another  case  deserves  to  be  mentioned,  showing  the 
importance  of  liberal  feeding  in  the  case  of  well-bred  pigs. 
One  of  our  neighbors,  a  city  man,  who  believed  in  good 
breeds  and  good  feeding,  had  a  common  sow  of  good  size 
and  pretty  fair  form.  He  put  her  to  a  thorough-bred 
Prince  Albert  Suffolk  boar,  and  had  a  litter  of  capital  pigs. 
He  afterwards  put  her  to  a  thorough-bred  Essex  boar.  But 
by  this  time,  he  got  tired  of  farming,  and  at  the  sale,  this 
sow  was  purchased  by  another  neighbor  who  half  starved 
her.  She  had  a  fair  litter  of  pigs  sometime  in  October. 
During  the  winter  they  had  a  little  wash  from  the  house 
and  what  they  could  pick  up  in  a  yard  where  cows  receiv- 
ed little  or  nothing  but  straw.  The  next  summer  they 
had  the  run  of  the  roadside,  with  yokes  around  their  necks 
to  keep  them  out  of  mischief.  A  meaner  and  more  ut- 
terly forlorn  lot  of  pigs  it  has  never  been  our  lot  to  see. 
And  this  good  man  attributed  his  ill-luck  to  our  thorough- 
bred boar ! 

In  one  sense  he  was  right.  The  sow  had  been  accus- 
tomed to  liberal  feeding,  and  the  boar  was  descended  from 


ORIGIN   AND    IMPROVEMENT  OF  OUR    DOMESTIC   PIGS.     41 

stock  which,  since  the  days  of  Lord  Western  and  Fisher 
Hobbs,  had  been  bred  for  the  purpose  of  rapidly  convert- 
ing all  the  food  they  could  eat  into, choice  pork.  No  won- 
der that  such  a  litter  of  pigs  would  not  stand  starvation 
as  well  as  those  more  accustomed  to  it.  Had  the  sow  and 
the  litter  of  pigs  been  liberally  fed,  they  would  have 
brought  more  money,  with  pork  at  14  cts.  per  lb.,  than 
he  received  that  year  from  his  whole  farm  of  100  acres ! 


CHAPTER    YHI. 

THE  ORIGIN  AND  IMPROVEMENT  OF  OUR  DOMESTIC  PIGS. 

JsTathusius  has  shown  that  all  the  known  breeds  of  pigs 
may  Be  divided  in  two  great  groups :  one  resembling,  in 
all  important  respects  and  no  doubt  descended  from,  the 
common  wild  boar ;  so  that  this  may  be  called  the  >SW 
scrofa  group.  The  other  group  differs  in  several  import- 
ant and  constant  osteological  characters  ;  its  wild,  parent- 
form  is  unknown ;  the  name  given  to  it  by  Nathusius,  ac- 
cording to  the  law  of  priority,  is  Sus  Indica,  of  Pallas. 
This  name  must  now  be  followed,  though  an  unfortunate 
one,  as  the  wild  aboriginal  does  not  inhabit  India,  and 
the  best  known  domesticated  breeds  have  been  imported 
from  Si  am  and  China.* 

Wild  hogs  still  exist  in  various  parts  of  Central  and 
Northern  Europe.  The  wild  boar  is  described  as  having 
large  tusks,  a  stronger  snout,  and  a  longer  head  than  the 
domestic  pig ;  smaller  ears,  pointed  and  upright ;  in  color, 
when  full  grown,  always  black.  He  does  not  attain  his 
full  growth  under  four  or  five  years,  and  will  live  for 

*  Darwin  Animals  and  Plants  Under  Domestication,  Vol.  1,  page  85    • 


HARRIS    ON    THE    PIG. 


ORIGIN   AND   IMPROVEMENT  OF  OUR   DOMESTIC    PIGS.     43 

twenty  or  thirty  years.     The  sow  breeds  only  once  a  year, 
and  has  seldom  more  than  five  or  six  at  a  litter  ;  suckles 


3. — WILD   BOAK. 

them  three  or  four  months,  and  does  not  allow  them  to 
leave  her  until  they  are  two  or  three  years  old,  and  able 


Fig.  4. — ORIGINAL   OLD   ENGLISH  PIG. 

to  defend  themselves.     Occasionally  they  grow  to  a  great 
size,  but  usually  they  are  not  as  large  as  the  domestic  pig. 


44  HARRIS    OX   THE   PIG. 

The  engravings  in  different  parts  of  the  book  are,  many 
of  them,  selected  from  different  works,  for  the  purpose  of 
illustrating  the  changes  which  have  been  wrought  in  the 
hog  by  domestication,  breeding,  etc. 

Great  improvements  have  been  effected  by  skillful 
breeders  in  the  form  of  cattle  and  sheep,  but  we  think 
these  illustrations  will  show,  that  far  greater  improvement 
has  been  effected  in  the  form  of  the  pig  than  in  any  other 
animal.  The  picture  of  the  "  original  old  English  pig " 
(fig.  4),  shows  a  decided  improvement  in  form  over  the 
Wild  Boar  (fig.  3).  It  has  shorter  legs,  shorter  head  and 


Fig.  5. — OLD  IRISH  PIG.     From  Richardson. 

snout,  heavier  cheeks,  a  straighter  and  broader  back,  and 
larger  hams.  It  will  weigh  more,  in  proportion  to  size, 
and  afford  more  meat  and  less  offal  than  the  wild  hog. 

The  engraving  of  the  old  Irish  "  Greyhound  Hog  "  (fig. 
5),  shows  an  intermediate  form  between  the  wild  and  do- 
mestic animal.  Richardson,  from  whose  work  the  picture  is 
taken,  describes  them  as  follows :  "  These  are  tall,  long- 
legged,  bony,  heavy-eared,  coarse  haired  animals ;  their 
throats  furnished  with  pendulous  wattles,  and  by  no 
means  possessing  half  so  much  the  appearance  of  domes- 
tic swine  as  they  do  of  the  wild  boar,  the  great  original 


IMPROVEMENT    OP   THE    ENGLISH    BREEDS    OP   PIGS.      45 

of  the  race.  In  Ireland,  the  old  gaunt  race  of  hogs  has, 
for  many  years  past,  been  gradually  wearing  away,  and  is 
now,  perhaps,  wholly  confined  to  the  western  parts  of  the 
country,  especially  Galway.  These  swine  are  remarkably 
active,  and  will  clear  a  five-barred  gate  as  well  as  any 
hunter ;  on  this  account  they  should,  if  it  is  desirable  to 
keep  them,  be  kept  in  well-fenced  inclosures." 

The  picture  of  the  "  original  old  English  pig  "  shows 
that  great  improvement  can  be  made  merely  by  regular 
feeding  and  judicious  selection  ;  but  it  must  be  remem- 
bered that  probably  it  took  hundreds  of  generations  to 
effect  the  change  indicated  in  the  engravings.  That  it 
could  have  been  effected  in  a  much  shorter  time,  is  undoubt- 
edly true.  But  the  fact  remains  that,  centuries  after  the 
wild  pigs  had  generally  disappeared  from  the  Island,  the 
domestic  pig  derived  from  them  was  still  a  very  coarse, 
slow  maturing,  and  unprofitable  animal. 

The  French  and  Germans,  as  compared  with  the  Eng- 
lish, have  made  but  little  improvement  in  the  breeds  of 
pigs,  and  many  of  the  animals  to  be  found  upon  the  Con- 
tinent are  very  much  like  the  old  English  hog,  bony,  tall, 
gaunt,  wiry-haired,  and  slow  to  fatten.  On  page  46  we 
give  a  portrait  of  a  Craonnaire  boar,  which  took  a  prize  at 
a  French  agricultural  show  in  1856. 


HAKEIS    ON   THE   PIG. 


IMPROVEMENT    OF   THE   ENGLISH   BREEDS    OP   PIGS.      47 

CHAPTER    IX. 

IMPROVEMENT  OF  THE  ENGLISH  BREEDS  OF  PIGS. 

The  improvement  in  the  breeds  of  pigs  has  kept  pace 
with  the  improvement  in  general  agriculture.  High 
breeding  is  profitable  when  accompanied  with  high  feed- 
ing and  high  farming;  but  a  highly  refined  animal  is  not 
suited  to  a  rude,  primitive  system  of  agriculture.  The  Eng- 
lish breeds  of  pigs  to-day,  as  compared  with  those  of  half  a 
century  ago,  do  not  show  greater  improvement  than  is 
found  in  the  general  system  of  farming.  There  are  still 
poor  farmers  in  England,  and  there  are  also  poor  breeds 
of  pigs ;  but  it  must  be  admitted  that  we  can  find  in 
England  the  best  specimens  of  high  farming,  and  the  best 
specimens  of  well-bred  cattle,  sheep,  and  pigs ;  and  as 
good  culture  is  rapidly  becoming  more  general,  there  is 
an  increasing  demand  for  improved  breeds,  at  high  prices. 
There  can  be  no  doubt  that  the  general  improvement  in 
agriculture,  and  the  more  general  demand  for  improved 
breeds  has  greatly  stimulated  the  efforts  of  the  profes- 
sional pig  breeders ;  and  it  is  doubtless  true  that  several 
of  the  English  breeds  of  pigs  are  to-day  superior  in  form, 
early  maturity,  and  fattening  qualities,  than  any  other 
breed  in  the  world. 

The  early  English  breeders  made  great  improvements, 
but  being  ahead  of  their  times,  they  met  with  compara- 
tively little  demand  for  their  improved  pigs,  and  no  ade- 
quate remuneration  for  their  skill  and  labor. 

It  is  not  necessary  to  review  the  means  employed  by 
the  breeders  of  the  last  century  to  improve  the  English 
breeds  of  pigs.  Suffice  it  to  say  that  it  is  generally  ad- 
mitted that  much  of  this  improvement  is  due  to  crossing 
the  large  English  sows  with  the  highly  refined  Chinese 
boars,  and  in  selecting  from  the  offspring  such  animals  as 


48 


HAERIS    ON   THE    PIG. 


possessed,  in  the  greatest  degree,  the  form  and  qualities 
desired.  By  continued  selection,  and  "  weeding  out," 
the  breed  at  length  became  established. 

The  Improved  Berkshire  is  one  of  the  earliest  and  best 
known  of  these  Chinese-English  breeds. 

The  old  Berkshire  hog  had  maintained  a  high  reputa- 
tion for  centuries.  It  is  described  as  <c  long  and  crooked 


Fig.  7. — IMPORTED   CHINESE   SOW 

snouted,  the  muzzle  turning  upwards ;  the  ears  large, 
heavy,  and  inclined  to  be  pendulous  ;  the  body  long  and 
thick,  but  not  deep ;  the  legs  short,  the  bone  large,  and 
the  size  very  great."  It  was  probably  the  best  pig  in 
England,  and  was  wisely  selected  as  the  basis  of  those  re- 
markable improvements  which  have  rendered  the  modern 
Berkshire  so  justly  celebrated. 

It  would  be  interesting  to  trace  the  different   steps  in 
this  astonishing  improvement,  but,  unfortunately,  the  nee- 


IMPHOVEMENT    OF   THE    ENGLISH    BREEDS    OF   PIGS.     49 

essaiy  information  cannot  be  obtained.     We  give  four  en- 
gravings from  London's  Encyclopedia  of  Agriculture,  the 


Fig.  8.— BERKSHIRE  PIG. 

first  edition  of  which  appeared  in  1825,  which  will  give 
some  idea  of  the  change  that  has  been  effected.     Figure  8 

ii  i. 


Fig.  9.— HAMPSHIRE  PIG. 

is  the  Berkshire  pig,  as  represented  by  London,  which  is 
stated  to  represent  "  one  of  the  best  of  its  kind,"  and  there 
can  be  little  doubt  that  it  was  taken  from  what  was  con- 


50 


HARRIS    ON   THE    PIG. 


sidered  a  good  specimen  of  the  breed  at  the  time  the  work 
was  written.  As  compared  with  the  figure  of  the  old  origi- 
nal English  pig,  and  also  with  those  of  Hampshire,  Here- 
fordshire, and  Suffolk,  given  by  Loudon  (figs.  9, 10,  and 
11),  it  is  easy  to  trace  the  influence  of  the  Chinese  cross. 
Loudon  speaks  of  the  Berkshire,  at  that  time,  as  a  small 
breed,  and  it  is  undoubtedly  true  that  the  first  effect  of 
an  improvement  in  the  fattening  qualities  and  early  ma- 
turity of  an  animal  is  to  reduce  the  size.  On  the  whole, 
this  picture  of  an  improved  Berkshire,  forty-five  or  fifty 
years  ago,  doos  not  give  one  a  very  favorable  idea  of  the 


Fig.  10. — HEREFORDSHIRE    PIG. 

breed  at  that  time;  yet  it  was  then  probably  the  best 
bred  pig  in  England.  Comparing  this  engraving  with  the 
one  given  by  Youatt  (fig.  12),  in  1845,  and  with  those  given 
by  Sydney  in  I860  (figs.  20  and  21),  we  can  form  some 
idea  of  the  remarkable  effects  of  judicious  breeding  and 
high  feeding.  The  engraving,  figure  12,  indicates  the 
effect  of  a  cross  with  the  Chinese;  the  others  show 
what  can  be  done  by  persistent  efforts  in  improving 
a  breed  of  a  mixed  origin.  It  is  highly  probable  that 


IMPROVEMENT   OP   THE    ENGLISH    BREEDS    OF   PIGS.      51 

boars  of  the  improved  Chinese-Berkshires,  after  the  breed 
had  become  established,  were  employed  to  cross  with  the 


Fig'.  11. — SUFFOLK  PIG. 

large,  old  Berkshire  sows,  and  that  the  effect  of  this  less 


Fig.  12. — BERKSHIRE    SOW. 

violent  cross  was  more  beneficial  than  the  direct  use  of 


52  HARRIS    OX   THE    PIG. 

the  pure  Chinese.  Certain  it  is,  that  the  pure  Chinese 
pigs  are  now  seldom,  if  ever,  resorted  to  by  English 
breeders.  They  find  it  more  advantageous  to  resort  to 
pure-bred  boars  of  some  of  their  own  established  breeds, 
although  there  is  probably  none  of  these  breeds  that  have 
not,  at  one  time  or  other,  been  crossed  with  the  Chinese. 
It  is  a  mistake,  however,  to  speak  of  them,  on  this  ac- 
count, as  "cross-bred  "  pigs,  as  is  sometimes  done.  They 
have  been  bred  pure  long  enough  to  become  fully  estab- 
lished. 

The  history  of  the  Improved  Essex  Pig  is  of  great  in- 
terest, because  better  authenticated  than  that  of  any  other 
breed. 

The  old  Essex  breed  is  described  by  Loudon  as  "  up- 
eared,  with  long,  sharp  heads,  roach-backed,  carcasses 
flat,  long,  and  generally  high  upon  the  leg,  bone  not  large, 
color,  white,  or  black  and  white,  bare  of  hair,  quick  feed- 
ers, but  great  consumers,  and  of  an  unquiet  disposition." 

Lord  Western,  while  traveling  in  Italy,  saw  some  Nea- 
politan pigs,  and  came  to  the  conclusion  that  they  were 
just  what  he  wanted  to  improve  the  breed  of  Essex  pigs. 
He  describes  them,  in  a  letter  to  Earl  Spencer,  as  "  a 
breed  of  very  peculiar  and  valuable  qualities,  the  flavor 
of  the  meat  being  excellent,  and  the  disposition  to  fatten 
on  the  smallest  quantity  of  food  unrivaled."  He  pro- 
curred  a  pair  of  thorough-bred  Neapolitans,  and  crossed 
them  with  Essex  sows,  and  probably  with  black  Sussex 
and  Berkshires.  He  obliterated  the  white  from  the  old 
Essex,  and  obtained  a  breed  of  these  cross-bred  pigs  that 
could  scarcely  be  distinguished  from  the  pure-bred  Nea- 
politans. 

These  Neapolitan-Essex  had  great  success  at  agricul- 
tural fairs,  but  as  Lord  Western  continued  to  breed  from 
his  own  stock,  selecting  the  most  highly  refined  males 
and  females,  they  "  gradually  lost  size,  muscle,  and  con- 
stitution, and  consequently  fecundity ;  and  at  the  time 


IMPROVEMENT    OF   THE    ENGLISH   BREEDS    OF   PIGS.      53 

of  his  death,  in  1844,  while  the  whole  district  had  bene- 
fited from  the  cross,  the  Western  breed  had  become 
more  ornamental  than  useful." 

In  other  words,  while  this  highly  refined  breed  was  of 
great  value  to  cross  with  the  large,  vigorous  sows  in  the 
neighborhood,  they  were  not  profitable  to  raise  pure. 
This  is  the  case  with  all  highly  refined,  thorough-bred 
pigs.  They  are  not  as  profitable  for  the  mere  production 
of  pork  as  the  pigs  from  the  common  sow  and  a  thorough- 
bred boar.  It  is  as  true  to-day  as  it  was  then,  that  any 
highly  refined  throrough-bred  pigs  are  "  more  ornamental 
than  useful,"  unless  farmers  know  how  to  use  them  ; 
then  they  are  of  great  value.  In  the  meantime,  a  tenant 
farmer  of  Lord  Western,  the  late  Fisher  Hobbs,  of  Box- 
ted  Lodge,  had  availed  himself  of  the  opportunity  to  use 
the  thorough-bred  Neapolitan-Essex  boars  belonging  to 
Lord  Western,  and  crossed  them  with  the  large,  strong, 
hardy,  black,  and  rather  rough  and  coarse  Essex  sows, 
and  in  process  of  time  he  established  the  breed,  since  be- 
come so  famous — the  Improved  Essex. 

The  difference  between  the  two  breeds  is  shown  by  the 
engraving  of  one  of  Lord  Western's  Neapolitan-Essex 
boars  (fig.  23),  drawn  for  the  first  edition  of  Youatt  on  the 
Pig,  and  that  of  "Emperor"  (fig.  22),  an  eight-year-old 
Improved  Essex  working  boar,  taken  in  1860  for  Sidney's 
last  edition  of  Youatt  on  the  Pig. 

Sidney,  in  his  last  edition  of  Youatt,  says  :  "  The  Im- 
proved Essex  probably  date  their  national  reputation  from 
the  second  show  of  the  Royal  Agricultural  Society,  held 
at  Cambridge,  in  1840,  when  a  boar  and  sow,  both  bred 
by  Mr.  Hobbs,  each  obtained  first  prizes  in  their  respec- 
tive classes. 

"  Early  maturity,  and  an  excellent  quality  of  flesh,  are 
among  the  merits  of  the  improved  Essex.  They  produce 
the  best  *  jointers '  for  the  London  market.  With  age 
they  attain  considerable  weight,  and  often  make  500  Ibs. 


54:  HARRIS    ON   THE   PIG. 

at  twenty-four  months  old.  *  Emperor '  (fig.  22)  is  2  ft. 
8J  in.  high  at  the  shoulder,  and  6  ft.  1  in.  long.  Boars 
bred  at  Boxted  have  been  known  to  reach  36  in.  in  height. 

kt  The  defect  of  the  improved  Essex  is  a  certain  delicacy, 
probably  arising  from  their  southern  descent,  and  an  ex- 
cessive aptitude  to  fatten,  which,  unless  carefully  counter- 
acted by  exercise  and  diet,  often  diminishes  the  fertility 
of  the  sows,  and  causes  difficulty  in  rearing  the  young. 
As  before  observed,  they  are  invaluable  as  a  cross,  being 
sure  to  give  quality  and  early  maturity  to  any  breed,  and 
especially  valuable  when  applied  to  a  black  breed  where 
porkers  are  required.  For  this  purpose  they  have  been 
extensively  and  successfully  used  in  all  the  black  pig  dis- 
tricts of  this  country  [Great  Britain],  where,  as  well  as  in 
France  and  Germany,  and  in  the  United  States,  they  have 
superseded  the  use  of  the  imported  Neapolitan  and  Chinese. 
Many  attempts,  on  a  limited  scale,  to  perpetuate  the  breed 
pure,  have  been  unsatisfactory,  because  it  is  too  pure  to 
stand  in-and-in  breeding.  They  require  much  care  when 
young.  '  In  the  sows  the  paternal  fattening  properties 
are  apt  to  overbalance  the  milking  qualities,  and  make 
them  bad  nurses.' 

"  The  Berkshire  breed  have  benefited  much  from  the 
improved  Essex  cross.  The  best  Devonshire  pigs  have  a 
large  infusion  of  the  same  strain.  The  improved  Dorsets, 
the  most  successful  black  pigs  ever  shown  at  the  Smith- 
field  Club  shows,  have  borrowed  their  heads  at  least  from 
the  Essex  breed.  The  improved  Oxfords  are  the  result 
of  a  judicious  blending  of  pure  Neapolitan,  Berkshire, 
and  improved  Essex  blood  ;  and  throughout  the  midland 
and  western  counties,  the  results  of  Lord  Western's 
Italian  tour  are  to  be  found  in  every  parish  where  a  black 
pig  4s  patronized. 

"  The  history  of  this  breed  affords  a  good  illustration  of 
the  advantages  of  the  system  under  which  landlords, 
stimulated  by  patriotism  or  competition,  or  mere  love  of 


IMPROVEMENT   OF   THE    ENGLISH   BKEEDS    OP   PIGS.      55 

tilings  agricultural,  breed  and  experiment  with  great  zeal, 
varied  success,  and  little  or  no  profit,  until  they  reach  the 
point  where  the  tenant  farmer,  with  sufficient  capital, 
equal  zeal,  and  a  clear  eye  to  the  £.  s.  d.,  takes  up  the 
work,  breeds,  and  works  the  problem  out  with  a  degree 
of  practical  knowledge,  personal  attention,  and  enthusi- 
asm, which  few,  except  farmers  breeding  for  a  profit,  can 
contrive  to  combine,  and  persevere  to  bestow  for  a  long 
series  of  years. 

"  Foreign  governments  endeavor,  with  very  limited  suc- 
cess, to  produce  the  effect  of  our  aristocratic  breeding 
enthusiasts  by  government  studs.  But  an  official,  however 
gilded,  titled,  or  crossed,  has  never  the  influence  of  a  peer 
or  squire ;  and  besides  his  name,  the  raw  materials — the 
working  bees,  the  great  tenant  farmers — are  wanting  on 
the  continent. 

u  The  improved  Essex  are  ranked  amongst  the  small 
breeds,  and  there  they  are  most  profitable ;  but  exception- 
al specimens  have  been  exhibited  at  agricultural  shows  in 
the  classes  for  large  breeds,  as,  for  instance,  at  Chelms- 
ford,  in  1856. 

"  There  is  probably  no  black  pig  which  combines  more 
good  qualities,  as  either  porker  or  bacon  hog,  than  the 
produce  of  an  improved  Essex  boar  and  an  improved 
Berkshire  sow." 

The  facts  here  narrated  are  of  great  importance  as  il- 
lustrating the  principles  of  breeding  which  we  have  en- 
deavored to  lay  down  in  the  first  chapters  of  this  work. 
The  old  Essex  pigs  were  great  eaters.  All  the  authorities 
mention  this  fact  as  one  of  the  objections  to  the  breed. 
The  Lord  Western  Essex  were  highly  refined  pigs,  of 
good  form,  little  offal,  maturing  very  early,  and  fattening 
with  great  rapidity,  but  destitute  of  size  and  vigor. 
Crossed  with  selected  sows  of  the  old,  hardy,  vigorous 
race,  the  offspring  possessed  the  form,  early  maturity,  and 
fattening  qualities  of  the  improved  breed,  united  with  the 


56  HARRIS    ON  THE    PIG. 

constitution  of  the  common  stock.  They  had  the  stomach 
of  the  mother,  and  the  refinement  of  the  sire.  No  won- 
der that  they  "  have  an  excessive  aptitude  to  fatten." 
What  else  can  they  do  with  the  large  amount  of  food 
they  are  capable  of  eating  and  digesting  except  to  convert 
it  into  flesh  and  fat  ?  There  is  a  minimum  of  offal  in  this 
breed,  and  they  are  exceedingly  quiet.  There  is  little 
demand  on  the  large  quantity  of  food  they  can  eat,  and 
nearly  the  whole  of  it  must  be  converted  into  flesh  and 
fat ;  and  we  have  endeavored  to  show  the  immense  ad- 
vantage of  having  an  animal  that  will  consume  a  consid- 
erable excess  of  food  over  and  above  that  required  to 
sustain  the  vital  functions.  In  this  view  of  the  matter  it 
is  easy  to  see  why  the  Improved  Essex  proved  such  a  use- 
ful breed  in  the  hands  of  intelligent  farmers. 

Many  other  similar  instances  of  the  improvement  of 
English  breeds  might  be  given,  but  it  is  not  necessary  to 
do  so.  The  principle  which  underlies  them  all  is  the  same. 
A  large,  vigorous,  healthy  sow,  crossed  with  a  highly  re- 
fined, thorough-bred  boar,  and  the  offspring  carefully  bred 
until  the  desired  qualities  become  established  in  the  new 
or  improved  breed. 


CHAPTER    X. 

THE  MODERN  BREEDS  OF  ENGLISH  PIGS. 

English  writers  on  swine,  twenty  years  ago,  describe  a 
dozen  or  more  breeds  of  pigs,  then  kept  in  England,  and 
nearly  as  many  more  in  Scotland  and  Ireland.  Youatt 
and  Richardson,  both  of  whose  works  on  the  pig  were  re- 
printed in  this  country,  give  a  full  account  of  these  old 
breeds.  Many  of  these  breeds  have  been,  at  one  time  or 
another,  introduced  into  the  United  States  and  Canada; 


THE    MODERN    BREEDS    OF    ENGLISH    PIGS.  57 

but  comparatively  few  of  them  have  been  kept  pure, 
either  here  or  in  England.  The  common  stock  of  pigs  in 
America  is  made  up  of  these  old  breeds.  Occasionally 
we  see  a  pig  that  has  some  distinct  characteristics  recog- 
nizable as  belonging  to  some  known  breed,  but,  as  a  gen- 
eral rule,  it  is  impossible  to  trace  the  slightest  resemblance 
to  any  distinct  breed,  either  of  the  past  or  the  present. 

The  same  is  true,  to  a  considerable  extent,  in  England. 
The  common  stock  of  pigs  is  of  such  a  mixed  character, 
that  it  can  be  traced  to  no  particular  breed.  Many  of  the 
old  breeds  have  become  .extinct.  We  have  so-called 
"Cheshire  "  pigs  in  America,  but  there  is  no  such  breed 
raised  or  known  in  Cheshire,  and  has  not  been  for  twenty 
years  or  more. 

Culley,  in  his  work  entitled  "  Observations  on  Live- 
stock," published  in  1807,  gives  a  well  authenticated  ac- 
count of  a  Cheshire  pig  which  measured,  from  the  nose 
to  the  end  of  the  tail  9  feet,  8  inches,  and  in  height,  4 
feet,  5|-  inches.  When  alive,  it  weighed  1,410  Ibs.,  and 
when  dressed,  1,215  Ibs.  The  age  is  not  given.  It  was 
probably  as  fat  as  it  could  be  made,  and  yet  it  only 
dressed  80J  per  cent  of  its  live  weight. 

This  breed,  if  we  may  call  it  a  breed,  was  evidently 
very  large  and  coarse.  It  is  described  as  "  remarkably 
long,  standing  very  high,  on  long,  bony  legs  ;  head  largo, 
ears  long  and  hanging;  back  much  curved,  and  narrow; 
sides  flat  and  deep ;  color  white,  blue  and  white,  black 
and  white."  This  breed  has  become  extinct. 

The  old  Yorkshire  or  Lincolnshire  breed  is  described  in 
Morton's  Cyclopedia  as  "one  of  the  largest  breeds  in 
the  kingdom,  and  probably  one  of  the  worst ;  extremely 
long-legged,  and  weak  loined ;  very  long  from  head  to 
tail ;  color  chiefly  white,  with  long,  coarse,  curly  hair ; 
tolerable  feeders,  but  yielding  a  coarse,  flabby  flesh,  of  in- 
ferior marketable  quality." 

It  is  from  this  race  of  pigs  that  the  modern  Yorkshire, 
3* 


58 


HARRIS    ON    THE    1'TG. 


THE   MODERN   BREEDS    OF   ENGLISH    PIGS.  59 

now  perhaps  the  most  popular  breed  in  England,  has  been 
derived.  This  breed  is  divided  into  three  classes:  the 
Large,  Medium,  and  Small 

THE   LARGB  YORKSHIRES. — (FlgS.  13,  14  and  15.) 

We  have  shown  what  the  old  Lincolnshire  and  York- 
shire pig  was  before  any  especial  efforts  had  been  made  to 
improve  it.  In  1854,  Mr.  A.  Clarke,  of  Long  Sutton, 
Lincolnshire,  the  author  of  a  valuable  treatise  on  the 
breeding  and  management  of  pigs  in  Morton's  Cy- 
clopedia of  Agriculture,  writes :  <c  In  the  adjoining  county 
of  Yorkshire  the  breeders  have  outdone  the  Lincolnshire 
breeders  in  point  of  size,  but  not  in  any  other  respect. 
The  specimens  lately  exhibited  at  our  meetings,  of  the 
large  Yorkshire  breed,  by  Messrs.  Abbot,  Taylor,  Tuley, 
and  others,  have  attained  a  size  too  large  for  any  useful 
purpose,  and  would  exceed  in  weight  that  of  a  moderately 
grown  Scotch  ox.  The  present  taste  of  the  public  is  de- 
cidedly set  against  such  an  overgrown  sort ;  at  present, 
however,  they  make  large  prices."  We  believe  there  is 
now  no  breed  known  as  the  Lincolnshire.  It  has  been 
merged  in  the  Yorkshire. 

Of  the  old,  unimproved  large  Yorkshire,  Sidney 
says :  "  It  was  a  long  time  coming  to  full  size,  and 
could  be  fed  up  to  800  Ibs.,  but  whether  with  any  profit, 
is  doubtful.  It  was  and  is  still  very  hardy,  and  a  very 
prolific  breeder.  Attempts  have  been  made  to  improve  it 
by  crossing  with  the  Berkshire,  Essex,  Neapolitan,  and 
other  black  breeds,  which  produced  a  black  and  white 
race.  Those  from  the  Berkshire  are  a  hardy,  useful  sort, 
but  fatten  slowly ;  the  other  crosses  have  little  or  no  hair, 
are  too  delicate  for  the  North,  and  are  fast  wearing  out. 

**  The  first  step  taken  in  the  right  direction  for  improv- 
ing the  old  Yorkshire  seems  to  have  been  the  introduction 
of  the  White  Leicesters.  These  were  a  large  sort,  with 


60 


HABEIS    O2*   THE   PIG. 


THE    MODERN   BREEDS    OP    ENGLISH    PIGS.  Cl 

smaller  heads  than  the  old  York,  erect  ears,  finer  in  the 
hair,  and  lighter  in  the  bone. 

"  The  improvement  in  the  York  large  breed  commenced 
early  in  the  century,  when  the  White  Leicesters  were  in- 
troduced. The  general  run  of  pigs  in  the  grain-growing 
districts  of  Yorkshire  shows  that  they  partake  more  or 
less  of  this  cross.  The  old  sort  is  seldom  seen  except  in 
the  northern  part  of  the  county." 

A  Yorkshire  correspondent  of  Mr.  Sidney,  writing  in 
1860,  says  "  The  Leicester  cross  has  been  still  further  im- 
proved by  putting  the  largest  and  best  sows  of  the  Lei- 
cester cross  to  boars  of  the  small  white  breed  from  Castle 
Howard*  and  Bransbyf ,  breeding  from  the  progeny,  and 
selecting  the  largest  and  best  of  the  young  sows  and  the 
best  formed  boars  for  that  purpose,  taking  care  that  they 
were  not  too  nearly  related.  By  this  means  the  size  and 
constitution  of  the  large  breed,  with  the  symmetry  and 
tendency  to  fatten  of  the  small  breed,  have  been,  in  a 
great  degree,  transmitted  to  the  offspring.  If  a  sow  shows 
too  much  of  the  old  sort,  she  is  put  to  a  boar  of  the  small 
breed  for  her  first  litter." 

Such  seems  to  have  been  the  origin  of  the  present  breed 
of  Large  Yorkshires. 

"  These  improved  Large  Yorkshires,"  (says  Sidney,  in 
I860,)  "  are  principally  bred  in  the  valley  of  the  Aire,  in 
the  neighborhood  of  Leeds,  Keighley,  and  Skipton.  They 
are  in  great  request  as  breeding  stores,  and  purchased  for 
that  purpose  for  every  part  of  the  United  Kingdom,  as 
well  as  for  France,  Germany,  and  the  United  States,  at 
great  prices." 

These  pigs  "  can  be  fed  to  60  stone,  of  14  Ibs.,  dead 
weight,  or  840  Ibs.  The  Prize  Boar  at  the  Royal  Agri* 
cultural  Fair  at  Chester  weighed,  alive,  1,232  Ibs.  The 

•  The  Earl  of  Carlisle. 

t  Mr.  Wyley,  of  Bransby,  introduced  a  small  breed  of  White  Leicester?,  now 
called  Yorkshires. 


HA11KI3    O1J  THE  PIG. 


THE    MODERN    BREEDS    OF   ENGLISH    PIGS.  63 

Prize  Sow  at  the  Royal  Fair  at  Warwick,  1,204  Ibs.  At 
Northallerton,  in  1859,  the  finest  lot  of  large  sows  ever 
seen  in  one  place  were  collected  together.  There  were  at 
least  a  dozen,  each  of  whose  live  weight  would  not  be 
much  less  than  half  a  ton  (1,120  Ibs).  The  Royal  Agri- 
cultural Prize-winner  at  Norwich  was  only  just  good 
enough  to  get  second  honors." 

Mr.  Wainman,  the  owner  of  Carhead  Farm,  has  been 
one  of  the  most  successful  breeders  of  the  Large  York- 
shires, having  won  more  than  two  hundred  prizes,  and 
sold,  in  the  language  of  one  of  his  Yorkshire  admirers, 
the  produce  of  one  sow  "  for  as  much  as  would  build  a 
church."  Mr.  Fisher,  who  is  bailiff  at  Carhead  Farm, 
gives  the  weight  of  two  of  these  pigs.  One,  killed  at 
less  than  7  months,  dressed  255  Ibs.,  and  one  at  12  months 
old,  489  Ibs. 

THE    SMALL   YORKSHIRES. 

Mr.  Mangles,  "  one  of  the  first  pig-breeders  and  feeders 
in  Yorkshire,"  gives  the  following  description  of  the  Small 
Yorks :  "  The  small  Yorkshire  is  peculiar  to  Yorkshire, 
and  different  from  any  other  breed  I  have  seen.  It  has  a 
short  head,  small,  erect  ears,  broad  back,  deep  chest,  and 
short  legs,  with  fine  bone.  It  is  always  ready  to  fatten, 
and  turn  to  account  either  in  the  way  of  roasters,  small 
porkers,  small  bacon,  or  medium.  Three  or  four  of  the 
small  breed  might  be  fed  well,  and  kept  fresh  and  sym- 
metrical on  the  food  which  would  barely  keep  one  lean 
and  gaunt  large  Yorkshire." 

THE   SMALL   CUMBERLAND. 

"  The  Cumberland  small  breed,"  pays  Mr.  Sidney,  "  are 
described  by  Mr.  Brown,  of  Aspatria,  who  is  one  of  the 
most  noted  founders  of  the  modern  breed,  from  whom 
Lord  Ducie  purchased  some  of  his  most  celebrated  animals, 
as  not  small  in  reality,  but  a  medium  size,  short  in  the 


ON   THE   PIG. 


THE    MODERN   BREEDS    OF   ENGLISH   PIGS.  65 

legs,  back  broad,  straight,  and  evenly  fleshed ;  ribs  well 
developed,  rumps  and  twists  good ;  hams  well  down,  and 
low ;  breast  and  neck  full,  and  well  formed ;  no  creases  in 
the  neck  ;  ears  clean,  fine,  of  a  moderate  size,  and  standing 
a  little  forward ;  nose  short ;  body  evenly  covered  with 
short,  fine  hair." 

At  the  Birmingham  show,  in  1850,  Mr.  Brown  won  ail 
first  prizes  in  small  breeds  for  the  "best  boar,"  "best 
sow,"  and  "best  pen  of  pigs,"  with  his  Cumberland 
breed ;  and  sold  a  boar  and  sow  under  six  months  old  for 
forty-three  guineas  to  Earl  Ducie.  At  the  sale,  on  the 
death  of  the  Earl,  the  sow  "  Miss  Brown  "  was  sold  to 
the  Rev.  F.  Thursby  for  sixty-five  guineas.  "  She  paid 
me,"  he  writes  to  Mr.  Sidney,  "  very  well,  having  sold 
her  produce  for  £300,  and  have  now  (February,  I860,) 
four  breeding  sows  from  her." 

THE    YORK-CUMBERLAND    BREED    (fig.   16). 

Mr.  Sidney  classes  the  Small  Yorkshire  and  Cumberland 
together,  "  because,  although  originally,  they  somewhat 
differed  in  size, — the  Cumberland  being  the  larger — they 
are  being  continually  intermixed,  with  mutual  advantage ; 
and  pigs  of  exactly  the  same  form,  the  result  of  crosses, 
are  constantly  exhibited  under  the  names  of  Yorkshire  or 
Cumberland,  according  to  the  fancy  of  the  exhibitor." 

Mr.  Mangles  writes — "  The  Small  Cumberland  is  a  great 
deal  larger  than  the  Small  Yorkshire.  By  judiciously 
crossing  the  two,  I  have  obtained  a  breed  combining  size, 
aptitude  to  fatten,  and  early  maturity.  From  the  Cum- 
berland I  got  size,  and  from  the  Yorkshire  quality  and 
symmetry.  I  have  tried  a  great  many  breeds  of  pigs, 
and,  keeping  the  pounds,  shillings  and  pence  in  view,  have 
found  no  breed  equal  to  the  Yorkshire  and  Cumberland 
cross." 

A  Warwickshire  correspondent  of  Mr.  Sidney  writes : 


CG 


HARRIS    ON    THE    PIGr. 


"  No  animal  of  the  pig  species  carries  so  great  a  propor- 
tion of  flesh  to  the  quantity  of  bone,  or  flesh  of  as  fine  a 
quality,  as  the  small  Yorkshire,  or  can  be  raised  at  so 
small  a  cost  per  pound.  With  common  store  food  they 
can  al \vays  be  kept  in  condition — with  common  care,  and 
slight  addition  to  food,  they  are  ready  to  be  killed,  for 
porklets,  at  any  age ;  and  if  required  for  bacon,  take  one 


Fig.  17. — PIUZE   YORK-CUMBERLAND   PIG.      SMALL  BREED. 

From  Farmers'  Magazine, 

farrow  of  pigs  from  a  yelt.*  You  ought  to.  have  from 
seven  to  ten  pigs  the  first  time.  I  have  four  sisters,  yelts, 
that  have  brought  me  thirty-eight  pigs  this  last  January. 
They  are  as  pure  as  '  Eclipse,'  being  descended  from  the 


*  A  "  yelt "  is  a  young  sow  before  she  has  had  pigs.  The  idea  here  is,  when  it 
is  desired  to  obtain  bacon  from  the  small  breeds,  to  take  one  litter  of  pigs  from 
a  young  sow,  and  then  fatten  her.  Ordinarily,  it  will  not  pay  to  keep  these  pigs 
long  enough  to  make  large  pork :  but  if  a  litter  of  pigs  can  be  obtained  iu  the 
meantime,  it  is  then  very  profitable.  But  if  we  should  continue  to  breed  from 
pigs  of  the  first  litter,  the  size  would  soon  become  too  small. 


THE    MODERN    ENGLISH    BREEDS    OF    PIGS.  67 

stock  of  Earl  Ducie  and  Mr.  Wyley,  of  Bransby,  near 
York,  and  are  of  good  size.  I  killed  a  sow  this  winter 
that  weighed  26  score — 520  Ibs. 

"The  ordinary  weight  is  from  14  to  17  score — 280  Ibs.  to 
340  Ibs.  In  some  cases,  where  very  thick  bacon  is  re- 
quired, they  may  be  profitably  got  to  30  score — 600  Ibs. 
The  Small  Yorkshire  owes  its  present  superiority  to 
choice  selections,  and  judicious  crossing  of  different  fami- 
lies of  the  same  breed ;  by  this  means  size  is  maintained 
with  character." 

These  "  Small  Yorkshires  "  which  this  gentleman  calls 
as  "  pure  as  Eclipse,"  are  descended  from  the  stock  of 
Earl  Ducie  and  Mr.  Wyley ;  but,  as  has  been  already 
shown,  Earl  Ducie  purchased  Cumberland  pigs  from  Mr. 
Brown,  and  Mr.  "Wy ley's  original  stock  were  White  Lei- 
cesters. 

Mr.  Sidney  says  :  "  The  wide  extension  of  this  Cum- 
berland and  York  blood  is  to  be  traced  wherever  the 
Royal  Agricultural  Society's  prizes  for  white  pigs  are  won. 

"Thus  : — Mr.  H.  Scott  Hayward,  of  Folkington,  a  prize- 
winner at  Chelmsford,  in  1856,  in  small  breeds,  with  a 
white  sow,  states  that  he  has  used  boars  from  the  follow- 
ing breeders  : — The  late  Earl  of  Carlisle,  Castle  Howard ; 
the  late  Earl  of  Ducie ;  the  Earl  of  Radnor,  Coleshill ; 
and  at  present  (1860)  one  from  the  Prince  Consort's  stock. 

"  The  card  of  Mr.  Brown's  boar '  Liberator '  contains  the 
following  pedigrees,  and  shows  a  distinct  connection  be- 
tween Cumberland  and  Yorkshire,  and  all  the  most  cele- 
brated white  breeds  in  the  south  : — 

"  '  Liberator '  was  bred  by  Earl  Ducie,  got  by  *  Glouces- 
ter,' dam  '  Beauty'  by  Lord  Radnor's  boar,  gr.-d.  'Julia 
Bennett '  by  Lord  Galloway's  boar,  etc. 

"  ;  Gloucester '  was  bred  by  the  Earl  of  Ducie,  got  by 
4  General,'  dam  '  Hannah  '  by  the  *  Yorkshiremnn  ;'  gr.-d. 
bred  by  the  Earl  of  Carlisle,  and  purchased  by  Lord 
Ducie  at  the  Castle  Howard  sale. 


68 


HAEBIS    ON  THE   PIG. 


THE    MODERN    ENGLISH   BREEDS    OF   PIGS.  69 

"  'General,'  bred  by  Mr.  Wyley,  sold  to  Mr.  Mackintosh, 
of  London,  and  hired  by  H.R.H.  Prince  Albert,  the  Earl 
of  Ducie,  and  Lord  Wenlock,  and  was  the  sire  of  two 
pens  of  pigs,  the  property  of  H.R.H.  Prince  Albert,  that 
obtained  the  first  prize  at  a  Smithfield  Christmas  Show. 

"It  may,  therefore,  safely  be  assumed  that  all  the  best 
white  pigs  of  modern  times  have  been  bred  from  York- 
shire or  Cumberland  and  white  Leicesters,  or  both ;  and 
many  breeds,  such  as  Middlesex,  Coleshill,  etc.,  may  be 
dismissed  as  mere  variations  of  the  white  small  Yorkshire. 

"Mr.  G.  Mangles,  of  Givendale,  near  Ripon,  Mr.  Brown 
writes  me,  was  one  of  the  first  to  cultivate  the  cross  of 
the  York-Cumberlands." 

THE    MIDDLE    OB    MEDIUM    YORKSHIRE    BREED    (Fig.   18). 

"The  Yorkshire  medium  or  middle  breed,"  says  Mr. 
Sidney,  "  is  a  modern  invention  of  Yorkshire  pig-breeders, 
and  perhaps  the  most  useful  and  the  most  popular  of  the 
white  breeds,  as  it  unites,  in  a  striking  degree,  the  good 
qualities  of  the  large  and  the  small.  It  has  been  produced 
by  a  cross  of  the  large  and  the  small  York,  and  the  Cum- 
berland, which  is  larger  than  the  small  York.  Like  the 
large  whites,  they  often  have  a  few  pale-blue  spots  on  the 
skin,  the  hair  on  these  spots  being  white.  All  white 
breeds  have  these  spots  more  or  less,  and  they  often  in- 
crease in  number  as  the  animal  grows  older. 

"It  was  not  until  1851  that  the  merits  of  this  breed  were 
publicly  recognized  at  a  meeting  of  the  *  Keighley  Agri- 
cultural Society,'  when,  the  judges  having  called  the  at- 
tention of  the  stewards  to  the  fact  that  several  superior 
sows,  which  were  evidently  closely  allied  to  the  small 
breed,  had  been  exhibited  in  the  large-breed  class,  the 
aspiring  intruders  were,  by  official  authority,  withdrawn. 

"  They  included  the  since  celebrated  c  Sontag,'  *  Jenny 


70  HARRIS    OX   THE   PIG. 

Lind,'  '  Kick-up-a-dust,'  and  some  other  distinguished 
grunters,  forming  altogether  such  an  imposing  troupe,  that 
the  authorities  gave  them  a  performance  (/.  e.,  a  class)  to 
themselves,  with  a  benefit  in  the  shape  of  first  and  second 
prizes,  and  called  them  the  '  middle  breed? 

"This  example  was  generally  adopted  throughout  York- 
shire, and  at  local  shows  they  are  the  strongest  and  best- 
filled  of  all  the  classes. 

"  The  principal  prize-takers  amongst  the  boars  in  this 
breed  have  been  '  Paris,'  *  Nonpareil,'  '  Lord  Raglan,'  '  Sir 
Colin,'  and  '  Wonder ;'  and  amongst  the  sows,  '  Zenobia,' 
*  Lady  Airdale,'  who  held  her  own  during  two  seasons,  in 
one  of  which  she  took  ten  prizes,  '  Craven,'  '  Lady  Kate,' 
'  Queen  Anne,'  and  '  Miss  Emily '  (see  portrait),  who  has 
never  found  her  marrow,  having  taken  nine  first  prizes  in 
succession,  including  the  champion  cup  at  Caldervale  show 
in  1859,  for  the  best  pig  in  all  classes.  This  competition 
brought  all  Yorkshire,  several  Warwick,  Royal  Highland 
Society,  Dublin  and  Irish  Royal,  as  well  as  Cheshire  and 
Lancashire  champions,  to  the  Cloth  Hall,  Halifax. 
Amongst  the  rest,  4  CARS  WELL,'  the  second  winner  in  the 
large  boar  class  at  Warwick,  entered  in  the  middle  class, 
and  carried  off  the  first  prize  in  that  class ;  but  in  the 
trial  for  the  championship,  he  was  beaten  like  the  rest, 
and  the  plate,  with  the  '  white  rosette  of  York,'  went  to 
'  Miss  EMILY,'  whose  girth,  taken  behind  the  shoulder, 
was  at  this  time  eighty-five  inches.  She  fully  qualified 
for  ail  the  prizes  she  had  taken  as  a  breeding  sow,  by 
producing  at  Carhead  the  following  October  a  fine  litter 
of  pigs. 

"  The  middle  Yorkshire  breed  are  about  the  same  size  as 
the  Berkshire  breed,  but  have  smaller  heads,  and  are  much 
lighter  in  the  bone.  They  are  better  breeders  than  the 
small  whites,  but  not  so  good  as  the  large  whites ;  in  fact, 
they  occupy  a  position  in  every  respect  between  these  two 
breeds." 


THE   MODERN  ENGLISH   BREEDS   OF   PIGS.  71 


Y2  HARRIS    ON   THE    PIG. 

WHITE     LEICESTERS    (Fig.    19). 

We  can  ascertain  nothing  satisfactory  in  regard  to  the 
origin  of  this  breed  of  pigs.  This  is  the  more  to  be  re- 
gretted as  the  fact  that  they  were  "  the  great  improvers 
of  the  gigantic  Yorks,"  invests  them  with  more  than  ordi- 
nary interest. 

Mr.  J.  W.  Williams,  of  Somersetshire,  is  the  principal 
breeder  of  White  Leicesters.  He  first  exhibited  in  1852, 
and  has  taken  the  Smithfield  Club  gold  medal,  two  gold 
medals  at  the  Paris  Exposition  in  1855,  and  numerous 
other  prizes.  The  portrait  of  the  Paris  Prize  Leicesters 
is  given  on  page  71  (fig.  19).  Mr.  Williams  states  that 
his  fat  pigs  of  this  breed  generally  average  the  following 
weights : 

5  to  6  months,  7  to  9  score  Ibs 140  to  180  Ibs. 

8  "  10  to  12  "  " 200  to  240  " 

10  "  12  to  15  "  " ...240  to  300  " 

12  to  18  "  15  to  18  "  " 300  to  360  " 

The  pen  of  three  pigs  of  this  breed  which  received  the 
Smithfield  Club  gold  medal  in  1854  weighed,  sinking  offal, 
at  18  weeks  old,  180  Ibs.  each. 

SUFFOLK   AND    OTHER    WHITE   BREEDS. 

Mr  Sidney  says :  "  Yorkshire  stands  in  the  first  rank 
as  a  pig-breeding  county,  possessing  the  largest  white 
breed  in  England,  as  well  as  an  excellent  medium  and 
small  breed,  all  white,  the  last  of  which,  transplanted  into 
the  south,  has  figured  and  won  prizes  under  the  names  of 
divers  noblemen  and  gentlemen,  and  more  than  one 
county.  The  Yorkshire  are  closely  allied  with  the  Cum- 
berland breeds,  and  have  been  so  much  intermixed  that, 
with  the  exception  of  the  very  largest  breeds,  it  is  diffi- 
cult to  tell  where  the  Cumberland  begins,  and  where  the 
Yorkshire  ends.  It  will  be  enough  to  say,  for  the  present, 


THE    MODERN   ENGLISH   BREEDS    OF    PIGS.  73 

that  the  modern  Manchester  boar,  the  improved  Suffolk, 
the  improved  Middlesex,  the  Coleshill,  and  the  Prince 
Alberts  or  Windsors,  were  all  founded  on  Yorkshire- 
Cumberland  stock,  and  some  of  them  are  merely  pure 
Yorkshires  transplanted,  and  re-christened." 

Speaking  of  the  pigs  kept  in  the  dairy  district  of 
Cheshire,  he  says  :  "  White  pigs  have  not  found  favor 
with  the  dairymen  of  Cheshire,  and  the  white  ones  most 
used  are  '  Manchester  boars,'  another  name  for  the  York* 
shire-Cumberland  breed.  '  Mr.  Youatt,'  he  says,  in  an- 
other place,  *  and  all  the  authors  who  have  followed  him, 
down  to  the  latest  work  published  on  the  subject,  occupy 
space  in  describing  various  county  pigs  which  have  long 
ceased  to  possess,  if  ever  they  possessed,  any  merit  worthy 
of  the  attention  of  the  breeder.  Thus  the  Norfolk,  the 
Suffolk,  the  Bedford,  the  Rudywick,  the  Cheshire,  the 
Gloucester  breeds,  have  each  a  separate  notice,  not  one  of 
which,  except  the  Suffolk,  is  worthy  of  cultivation,  and 
the  Suffolk  is  only  another  name  for  a  small  Yorkshire 


BLACK     BREEDS. 

If  all  the  modern  white  breeds  in  England,  of  any 
special  value  to  the  breeder,  are  Yorkshires,  or  York- 
Cumberland  and  Leicesters,  it  is  equally  true  that  there 
are  but  two  breeds  of  black  pigs  that  deserve  any  special 
attention — the  Essex  and  Berkshire. 

"  Black  pigs  and  their  crosses,"  says  Mr.  Sidney,  <c  oc- 
cupy almost  exclusively  the  counties  of  Berks,  Hants, 
Wilts,  Dorset,  Devon,  and  Somerset.  Sussex  has  a  black 
county  breed,  and  in  Essex  a  black-and-white  pig  has  be- 
come all  black.  In  the  Western  counties,  the  prejudice 
against  a  white  pig  is  nearly  as  strong  as  against  a  black 
one  in  Yorkshire.  In  Devonshire,  white  pigs  are  supposed 
to  be  more  subject  to  blistering  from  the  sun  when  pas- 
turing in  the  fields. 
4 


74  HARRIS    ON   THE  PIG. 

"For  breeding  purposes,  the  black  breeds  may  be  divided 
into  two — the  improved  Berkshire  and  the  improved 
Essex,  because  there  is  no  dark  breed  that  has  special 
characteristics  so  well  worth  cultivation  as  these  two,  and 
there  is  no  black  pig  that  may  not  be  advantageously 
crossed  by  boars  of  one  or  both  of  these  breeds.  Hamp- 
shire has  an  ancient,  coarse,  and  useful  breed  of  black 
pigs.  They  are  inferior  to  Berkshire,  and  not  in  the  same 
refined  class  as  Essex,  therefore  not  worth  taking  from 
their  native  county" 

BERKSHIRE. 

"  Among  the  black  breeds,"  says  Mr.  Sidney,  "  by  uni- 
versal consent,  the  improved  Berkshire  hog  stands  at  the 
head  of  the  list,  either  to  breed  pure,  or  to  cross  with 
inferior  breeds.  The  Berkshire  was  originally  a  large 
breed  (it  has  very  recently  cariied  off  prizes  in  the  large 
classes  at  Royal  Agricultural  and  other  shows)  of  a 
black-and-white  and  sandy-spotted  color,  as  represented  in 
the  portrait  given  by  Mr.  Youatt  (fig.  12),  in  this  respect 
distinctly  differing  from  its  neighbor,  the  old  black 
Hampshire  hog,  rather  coarse,  but  of  general  form  very 
superior  to  the  old  white  and  black-and-white  farm  hog 
of  the  northern  counties. 

"  The  late  Lord  Barrington  (who  died  in  1829)  did  a 
great  deal  towards  improving  the  Berkshire  breed,  and  the 
improved  Berkshires  are  almost  all  traced  back  to  his  herd. 
They  are  now  considered  by  Berkshire  farmers  to  be  di- 
vided into  middle  (not  a  large  breed)  and  a  small  breed. 
If  first-class,  they  should  be  well  covered  with  long  black 
silky  hair,  so  soft  that  the  problem  of  '  making  a  silk 
purse  out  of  a  sow's  ear '  might  be  solved  with  a  prize 
Berkshire.  The  white  should  be  confined  to  'four  white 
feet,  a  white  spot  between  the  eyes,  and  a  few  white  hairs 
behind  each  shoulder* 


THE  MODERN   ENGLISH   BREEDS   OF   PIGS.  75 


76  HAIIBIS   ON   THE   PIG. 

"At  Mr.  Sadler's,  Bentham,  near  Cricklade,  one  of  the 
most  successful  improvers  of  Berkshires,  and  eminent  as  a 
manufacturer  of  North  Wiltshire  cheese,  the  committee 
of  the  Ayrshire  Agricultural  Association  saw  '  three  hun- 
dred, every  one  of  which  was. marked  in  this  manner.' 

"  Mr.  Sadler  obtained  his  original  stock  from  the  late 
Lord  Barrington's  herd.  At  Baker  Street,  he  once  won 
the  prize  for  the  best  fat  pig  in  the  yard  with  a  sow  near- 
ly four  years  old,  (a  portrait  of  which  is  given  in  fig. 
20,)  which  had  been  the  mother  of  a  numerous  progeny. 
She  was  6  ft.  4  in.  in  length,  7  ft.  6  in.  in  girth,  and 
weighed  42  score,  16  Ibs.,  or  856  Ibs., — more  than  many 
fat  heifers.  But  it  seems  to  be  the  general  opinion  of 
feeders  that  Berkshires  pay  best  at  moderate  weights. 

"  To  develop  the  full  size,  they  must  not  be  allowed  to 
breed  until  twelve  months  old  at  least.  Mr.  Sadler  con- 
siders the  improved  Berks  superior  to  any  other  (black  ?) 
breed,  for  size,  quality,  hardiness  of  constitution  prolific^ 
ness,  early  maturity,  and  aptitude  to  fatten. 

"My  friend  Mr.  Thomas  O wen,  of  Clapton,  Hungerford, 
who  has  had,  in  his  forty  years'  experience  as  a  Berkshire 
farmer,  '  some  thousand  through  his  hands  dead,'  writes 
•me: 

"  *  I  remember  the  Berks  pig  a  much  larger  and  coarser 
animal  than  now ;  at  present  they  are  a  medium,  not  a 
large  breed.  They  have  been  improved  by  judicious  se- 
lection and  distant  crosses  with  the  Neapolitan,  which 
have  added  to  their  fattening  qualities.  They  are  much 
esteemed  by  butchers  for  evenness  of  flesh  (that  is,  more 
lean  to  the  proportion  of  fat)  than  any  other  breed, — and 
this  is  a  good  recommendation.' 

"The  late  Rev.  T.  C.  James,  who  was  a  successful  exhib- 
itor of  pigs  at  Chelmsford,  and  one  of  the  judges  of  pigs 
at  the  Royal  Agricultural  Society's  show  at  Warwick,  in 
1859,  wrote :  *  The  improved  Berkshire  is  a  good  big 
animal,  well  calculated  to  produce  a  profitable  flitch.  A 


THE   MODERN   ENGLISH   BKEEDS   OP   PIGS.  77 


\ 


78  HARRIS    ON   THE  PIG. 

good  little  pig  is  very  well,  but  a  good  big  pig  is  better, 
if  with  aptitude  to  fatten  :  two  exhibited  at  Chelmsford, 
in  1856,  (of  Sadler's  breed)  weighed,  each,  twelve  score  at 
seven  months  old,  and  with  that  weight,  were  of  such 
good  constitution,  that  they  were  well  upon  their  legs. 
They  had  walking  exercise  in  an  orchard  every  clay  while 
fattening.' 

"  One  of  the  most  extensive  farmers  in  West  Norfolk 
writes:  'Dissatisfied  with  the  Norfolk  pigs,  I  flew  to 
Mr.  Sadler,  of  Bentham,  Wilts,  gave  him  20  guineas  for 
three  sows  and  a  boar.  I  sold  over  one  hundred  in  the 
first  eighteen  months  for  £2  each  when  ten  weeks  old,  and 
the  only  complaint  I  have  is,  that  they  do  not  breed  so 
many  as  the  old  Norfolks  ;  but  I  say  eight  or  nine  good 
ones  are  better  than  ten  or  eleven  ordinary  ones.  They 
are  good  graziers,  and  our  butchers  are  very  fond  of 
them.  There  is  plenty  of  lean  meat  with  the  fat,  which 
is  not  the  case  with  the  fancy  pigs.  The  cross  between 
the  Berks  boar  and  Norfolk  sow  (white),  like  all  cross 
breeds,  is  most  profitable  to  the  feeder,  but  we  must  have 
pure  breeds  first.' 

"This  Norfolk  opinion,"  says  Mr.  S.,  "  is  confirmed  by  all 
my  correspondence.  The  Berkshire  pig  is  in  favor  in 
every  dairy  district,  either  pure  or  as  a  cross,  but  chiefly 
as  a  cross ;  he  does  not  fatten  so  quickly  as  some  other 
breeds,  but  his  constitution  and  bacon  quality  are  famous. 

"  The  average  weight  of  a  bacon  improved  Berkshire 
hog,  fit  to  kill,  will  be  about  400  Ibs.  The  ham-curers 
who  purchase  from  these  farms,  prefer  the  small  breed  of 
Berkshires,  of  from  nine  to  fourteen  score. 

"The  improved  Berkshire  boar  was  used  to  give  size  and 
constitution,  many  years  ago,  to  the  Essex ;  and  the  most 
eminent  breeder  of  Essex  has  informed  me  that  on  one 
occasion,  in  a  litter  of  Essex  pigs,  two  little  pictures  of 
the  Berkshire  boar,  their  remote  ancestors  by  at  least 
twenty-eight  years,  appeared.  It  seems  to  be  generally 


THE    MODERN   ENGLISH   BREEDS    OF   PIGS.  79 


80  HARRIS   ON  THE    PIG. 

agreed  that  the  Berks  breed  is  best  adapted  for  hams  and 
bacon,  and  not  for  small  fresh  pork.  As  I  have  already 
mentioned,  the  Berks  boar  has  been  used  to  cross  the 
large  breed  in  Yorkshire,  but  without  permanently  satis- 
factory results  in  establishing  a  breed ;  for  a  first  cross  with 
almost  any  breed,  it  is  sure  to  produce  a  well-sized  useful 
animal.  In  reply  to  questions  addressed  through  the 
landlord  of  the  Arley  Hall  estate,  in  Cheshire,  to  his  prin- 
cipal tenants,  it  seems  that  the  dairy  farmer  of  that 
county  finds  it  profitable  to  cross  the  dark  or  spotted  sows 
which  they  have  in  the  county,  and  also  those  they  pur- 
chase largely  from  Shropshire  and  Wales,  with  a  Berk- 
shire boar.  The  produce  is  all,  or  nearly  all,  made  into, 
and  sold  for  making  bacon.  On  the  other  hand,  in  Kent, 
Mr.  Betts,  of  Preston  Hall,  buys  Berkshire  sows  and 
crosses  them  with  a  white  Windsor  boar, '  the  produce 
being  invariably  white." 

IMPROVED    ESSEX    (Fig.  22). 

We  have  already  given  some  account  of  this  celebrated 
breed,  but  the  American  farmer  will  be  glad  to  read  what 
Mr.  Sidney  writes  in  regard  to  it.  He  says :  "  The  im- 
proved Essex  is  one  of  the  best  pigs  of  the  small  black 
breeds,  well  calculated  for  producing  pork  and  hams  of 
the  finest  quality  for  fashionable  markets  ;  but  its  great- 
est value  is  as  a  cross  for  giving  quality  and  maturity  to 
black  pigs  of  a  coarser,  hardier  kind.  It  occupies,  with 
respect  to  the  black  breeds,  the  same  position  that  the 
small  Cumberland-Yorks  do  as  to  white  breeds — that  is  to 
say,  an  improved  Essex  boar  is  sure  to  improve  the  prod- 
uce of  any  large  dark  sow. 

"  The  original  Essex  pig  was  a  party-colored  animal, 
black,  with  white  shoulders,  nose,  and  legs — in  fact,  a  sort 
of  '  sheeted '  pig,  large,  upright,  and  coarse  in  bone. 

"  The  first  improvement  was  made  by  the  late  Lord  West- 


THE    MODERN    ENGLISH    BSE  EDS    OF   PIGS. 


81 


em,  when  Mr,  Western,  an  Essex  squire,  who  divided  his 
life  pretty  equally  between  the  cultivation  of  live-stock 
and  the  passionate  support  of  the  politics  of  his  friend, 
Charles  James  Fox.  While  traveling  in  Italy  (making 
the  grand  tour),  he  observed,  admired,  and  secured  a  male 
and  female  of  the  breed  called  Neapolitan,  *  found  in  its 
greatest  purity  (according  to  a  letter  addressed  by  Lord 


Fig.   23. — LOUD    WESTEUN    ESSEX. 

Western  to  Earl  Spencer  in  the  Farmers1  Magazine,  Janu- 
ary, 1839)  in  the  beautiful  peninsula,  or  rather  tongue  of 
land,  between  the  Bay  of  Naples  and  the  Bay  of  Salerno. 
.  .  A  breed  of  very  peculiar  and  valuable  qualities,  the 
flavor  of  the  meat  being  excellent,  and  the  disposition  to 
fatten  on  the  smallest  quantity  of  food  unrivaled.' 

"  From  this  pair  Mr.  Western  (afterwards  Lord  Western) 

bred  in-and-in,  until  the  breed  was  in  danger  of  becoming 

extinct — a  sure  result  of  in-and-in  breeding.      He  then 

turned  to  Essex,  and,  there  is  reason  to  believe,  to  black 

4* 


82  HAKKIS    ON  THE  PIG. 

Sussex  and  Berkshire  sows ;  and  obliterating  the  white 
of  the  old  Essex,  produced  a  class  of  animals  of  which  he 
says,  in  the  letter  already  quoted :  '  I  have  so  completely 
engrafted  this  stock  upon  British  breeds,  that  I  think  my 
herd  can  scarcely  be  distinguished  from  the  pure  blood  " 
(of  Neapolitans).  (See  figure  23.) 

"  The  Western  Essex  pigs  had  great  success  at  agricul- 
tural shows.  The  old  Essex,  with  its  '  roach  back,  long 
legs,  sharp  head,  and  restless  disposition,'  was  capable  of 
being  made  very  fat,  but  then  it  required  time  and  an  un- 
limited supply  of  food.  The  advantage  of  a  cross  with 
the  Italian  was  obvious,  and  the  fact  that  the  new  breed 
was  in  the  hands  of  a  popular  county  squire  was  no  small 
help  in  extinguishing  the  native  and  unprofitable  parti- 
colored race. 

"  But  as  Lord  Western  bred  exclusively  from  his  own 
stock — having  attained  what  he  considered  perfection — 
always  selecting  the  neatest  and  most  perfect  males  and 
females,  his  breed  gradually  lost  size,  muscle,  and  consti- 
tution, and  consequently  fecundity ;  and  at  the  time  of 
his  death,  in  1844,  while  whole  districts  had  benefited 
from  the  cross,  the  Western  herd  had  become  more  orna- 
mental than  useful. 

"But,  in  the  meantime,  the  well-known  Mr.  Fisher 
Hobbs,  of  Boxted  Lodge,  then  a  young  tenant  farmer  at 
Mark's  Hall,  on  the  Western  estate,  had  taken  up,  among 
other  farm  live-stock,  the  Essex  pig,  and  made  use  of  the 
privilege  he  enjoyed  of  using  Lord  Western's  male  ani- 
mals to  establish  a  breed  on  strong,  hardy  black  Essex 
sows,  even  if  somewhat  rough  and  coarse,  crossed  with 
the  Neapolitan-Essex  boars.  On  the  carefully  selected 
produce  of  these,  divided  and  kept  as  pure  separate  fam- 
ilies, he  established  the  breed  that  he  first  exhibited,  and 
has  since  become  famous  as  the  '  Improved  Essex?  a  title 
which  Lord  Western  himself  adopted  when  his  tenant  and 
pupil  had  successfully  competed  with  him.  On  Lord 


THK   MODERN   ENGLISH    BREEDS    OF   PIGS.  83 


84 


HARRIS    OX    THE    TIG. 


Western's  death,  Mr.  Hobbs  purchased  his  best  breeding 
sows.  The  difference  between  Lord  Western's  Essex 
and  Mr.  Fisher  Hobbs'  improved  Essex,  is  shown  very 
plainly  by  the  two  portraits  which  illustrate  this  section, 
the  one  drawn  by  Mr.  Youatt,  in  1845  (fig.  23),  and  the 
other  from  '  Emperor,'  an  eight-year-old  working  boar 
drawn  for  me  in  April,  1860  (fig.  22). 

"  The  improved  Essex,  with  symmetry,  have  more  size 
and  constitution  than  the  original  Essex-Neapolitans,  and 


Fig.  25. — ESSEX  sow. 

this  has  been  maintained  without  any  crosses  for  more 
than  twenty  years,  by  judicious  selection  from  the  '  three 
distinct  families.' " 

Very  excellent  specimens  of  the  Essex  pigs  are  owned 
by  various  breeders  in  this  country.  We  give  engravings 
(figs.  24,  25,  — )  from  photographs  of  animals  owned  by 
L.  A.  Chase,  Esq.,  Northampton,  Mass.,  descended  from 
animals  imported  by  Samuel  Thome,  Esq.,  from  Fisher 
Hobbs'  stock.  They  are  in  only  working  condition. 


THE   MODERN    ENGLISH   BREEDS    OF   PIGS.  85 

IMPROVED     OXFORDSHIRE. 

"  These  black  pigs,"  says  Mr.  Sidney,  "  although  they 
are  scarcely  numerous  enough  to  enable  them  to  claim 
tlie  title  of  a  breed,  are  interesting,  because  representing 
a  successful  attempt  to  unite  the  best  qualities  of  the 
Berkshire  and  improved  Essex.  The  old  Oxfordshire 
breed  were  very  like  the  old  Berkshire.  The  first  great 
improvement  is  traced  to  two  Neapolitan  boars  imported 
by  the  late  Duke  of  Marlborough  when  Marquis  of  Bland- 
ford,  and  presented  by  him  to  Mr.  Druce,  senior,  of  Eyns- 
ham,  and  the  late  Mr.  Smallbones,  in  1837.  These  Nea- 
politans were  used  with  Berkshire  sows,  some  of  which 
were  the  result  of  Chinese  crosses.  Two  families  of  jet- 
black  pigs  were  formed  by  Mr.  Smallbones  and  Mr.  Druce. 
On  the  death  of  Mr.  Smallbones,  Mr.  Samuel  Druce,  jun., 
purchased  the  best  of  his  stock,  and  had  from  his  father, 
and  also  from  Mr.  Fisher  Hobbs,  improved  Essex  boars. 
The  produce  were  a  decided  '  hit,'  and  very  successful  at 
local,  Royal,  and  Smithfield  Club  shows.  The  improved 
Oxfords  are  of  fair  size,  and  all  black,  with  a  fair  quantity 
of  hair,  very  prolific,  and  good  mothers  and  sticklers. 

"  Mr.  Samuel  Druce  writes  me :  '  I  have  recently  used 
one  of  Mr.  Crisp's  black  Suffolk  boars.  In  fact,  wherever 
opportunity  offers,  I  obtain  good  fresh  blood  of  a  suitable 
black  breed,  with  the  view  of  obtaining  more  lean  moat 
than  the  Essex,  better  feeding  qualities  than  the  pure 
Berkshires,  and  plenty  of  constitution.  I  have  never  been 
troubled  with  any  diseases  among  my  pigs.  Without 
change  of  boars  of  a  different  tribe,  if  of  the  same  breed, 
constitution  cannot  be  preserved.  Where  breeding  in- 
and-in  from  a  limited  stock  is  persisted  in,  constitution  is 
lost,  the  produce  of  each  sow  becomes  small  in  size  and 
few  in  number.'  The  Oxford  dairy  farms  have  a  first-rate 
market  for  pork  in  the  University.  Porkers  at  thirteen 
to  sixteen  weeks  are  wanted  to  weigh  60  Ibs.  to  90  Ibs. ; 


86  HAKKIS    ON   THE    PIG. 

bacon  pigs  at  nine  to  ten  months,  220  Ibs.  to  280  Ibs.,  but 
at  that  age  the  improved  Oxfords  are  easily  brought  to 
400  Ibs." 

BLACK   AND    BED   PIGS. 

"  Birmingham  has  long  been  one  of  the  greatest  pig 
markets  in  the  kingdom,  and  the  pig-breeding  of  the 
district  has  been  not  a  little  affected  and  improved  by  the 
winter  fat-stock  show,  which  has  for  some  years  past  been 
held  there,  at  Bingley  Hall,  with  great  success.  The  town 
of  Birmingham  unites  Staffordshire  and  Warwickshire. 
The  old  Warwickshire  breed  was  a  white  or  party-colored 
animal  of  the  old-fashioned  farm-yard  type,  and  has  never 
been  improved  into  a  special  breed.  The  Staffordshire 
breed  was  the  '  Tamworth.'  At  present  the  Tamworth 
are  rapidly  going  out  of  favor  with  farmers,  from  the 
want  of  aptitude  to  fatten,  and  are  being  replaced  by  use- 
ful pigs,  the  result  of  miscellaneous  crosses  of  no  special 
character.  The  best  are  the  middle-sized  white  pigs,  a 
cross  of  the  Cumberland-York  with  local  white  breeds, 
often  called  the  Cheshire.  The  northern  cross  improves 
the  constitution,  and  gives  hair  of  the  right  quality,  'hard, 
but  not  too  much  or  too  coarse.' 

"  At  Bingley  Hall  the  class  of  Berkshire  breeding-pigs 
under  six  months  old  generally  brings  from  twenty  to 
twenty-five  pens.  At  present,  however,  the  Berkshires  in 
the  Birmingham  district  are  chiefly  in  the  hands  of  ama- 
teur farmers,  tenant  farmers  not  having  taken  very  kindly 
to  them. 

"  But  the  breed  must  be  spreading  rapidly  if  the  ready 
sale  of  the  young  pigs  at  the  Birmingham  show  be  taken 
as  evidence. 

"Mr.  Joseph  Smith,  of  Henley-in-Arden,  one  of  the  most 
successful  exhibitors  of  Berkshires,  keeps  three  or  four 
sows,  and  sells  all  their  young ;  and  others  find  the  de- 
mand for  young  pigs  constant  -throughout  the  year. 


THE   MODERN   ENGLISH    BREEDS    OF   PIGS.  87 

"  Mr.  Thomas  Wright,  of  Quarry  House,  Great  Barr, 
(who  did  so  much  toward  founding  the  Bingley  Hall 
show,)  considers  the  cross  of  the  Berkshire  with  the  Tarn- 
worth  'produces  the  most  profitable  bacon  pigs  in  the 
kingdom,  the  Berkshire  blood  giving  an  extraordinary 
tendency  to  feed,  and  securing  the  early  maturity  in  which 
alone  the  Tamworth  breed  is  deficient.  The  cross  of  the 
Berkshire  boar  with  large  white  sows  has  been  found  to 
produce  most  satisfactory  results  to  plain  farmers.  My 
own  notion  with  regard  to  all  agricultural  stock  is,  that 
we  should  abandon  crosses  and  stick  to  our  pure  breeds, 
adapting  them  to  our  particular  wants  by  careful  selec- 
tion.' 

"  The  TAMWORTH  BREED  is  a  red,  or  red-and-black  pig, — 
hardy,  prolific,  and  the  best  specimens  well  shaped,  but 
slow  in  maturing.  It  seems  a  near  relation  to  the  old 
Berkshire ;  but  modern  Berks  breeders  carefully  exclude 
all  red-marked  pigs  from  their  breeding-sheds.  Reddish 
hairs  at  the  tips  of  the  ears  of  Essex  would  be  permitted 
and  admired.  Mr.  Alderman  Baldwin,  of  Birmingham, 
is  a  noted  breeder  of  this  hardy,  useful  pig,  which,  how- 
ever, does  not  seem  to  have  any  success  as  a  prize  winner. 
At  the  Royal  Agricultural  Show  at  Warwick,  1859,  the 
Yorkshire  and  Berkshire  breeds  divided  all  the  honors." 

DEVONS. 

"  Devonshire,"  says  Mr.  Sidney,  "  has  an  excellent  breed 
of  black  pigs,  which  partake,  for  the  most  part,  of  the 
character  of  the  improved  Essex  and  Berkshire.  The 
climate  seems  to  require  less  hair  than  the  northern  and 
midland  counties.  Mr.  George  Turner,  the  great  cattle- 
breeder  of  Devon,  has  done  a  good  deal  in  the  last  forty 
years  towards  improving  the  west  country  black  pigs  by 
his  *  stud '  and  importations. 

"  The  '  original  Devon  pigs  were  valued  according  to 


83  HARRIS    OX   THE   PIG. 

the  length  of  their  bodies,  ears,  noses,  tail,  and  hair ;  the 
longer  the  better,  without  reference  to  quality  or  sub- 
stance,' just  like  some  Devonshire  squires  of  500  ragged 
acres,  who  value  themselves  on  the  length  of  a  pedigree 
unilluminated  by  a  single  illustrious  name  or  action. 
*  They  were  of  no  particular  color  or  character;  but  within 
the  last  forty  years  they  have  been  improved  perhaps 
more  than  any  other  stock,  by  judicious  crosses  and  im- 
portations.' Within  the  last  twenty  years  a  good  deal 
of  Mr.  Fisher  Hobbs'  stock  (Essex)  has  been  intro- 
duced, and  seem  well  adapted  to  the  climate.  The  Berk- 
si  i ires  nre  also  much  approved.  Mr.  George  Turner's 
stock  *  are  black,  with  short  faces,  thick  bodies,  small 
bone,  and  but  little  hair,  and  exhibit  as  much  good  breed, 
shape,  and  constitution,  as  any  tribe  of  pigs  in  the  king- 
dom, and  have  won  as  many  prizes  at  the  breeding-stock 
shows  of  the  Royal  Agricultural  Society.' 

" 4  At  eighteen  months  old  they  generally  make  from  18 
to  20  score — 360  Ibs  to  400  Ibs.,  sinking  the  oifal. 

"  Some  of  the  original  breed  of  the  county  may  still  be 
seen  in  parts  of  North  Devon ;  they  will  jump  a  fence 
that  would  puzzle  many  horses  and  some  hunters.  But, 
taken  as  a  whole,  the  pig  stock  of  Devonshire  is  far  above 
the  average  of  other  counties ;  the  black  pig  being,  per- 
haps, the  only  foreigner  who  has  ever  been  cordially  wel- 
comed as  a  settler  in  that  very  exclusive  county." 

CORSETS. 

"  Dorset,"  says  Mr.  Sidney,  "  has  no  reputation  as  a 
pig-breeding  county ;  but  one  breeder,  Mr.  John  Coate, 
of  Hamoor,  has  achieved  a  reputation  for  his  Improved 
Dorsets,  by  winning,  amongst  other  prizes,  the  gold 
mednl  for  the  best  pen  of  pigs  in  the  Smithfield  Club 
Show  not  less  than  fiva  times,  viz.,  1850,  1851, 1852,  1855, 
and  1856. 


THE  MODERN   ENGLISH   BREEDS    OF  PIGS.  89 

"  Mr.  Coate  writes  me  that  he  purchased,  about  *  twenty 
years  ago,  a  boar  and  sow  in  Somersetshire,  of  a  breed 
said  to  have  been  sent  from  Turkey.  They  resembled,  in 
some  measure,  the  wild  boar,*  being  short  on  the  leg, 
with  very  long,  wiry  hair,  black  in  color,  and  very  inclined 
to  fatten.  I  was  led  to  believe  it  was  a  mixture  between 
the  wild  boar  and  Neapolitan  breeds.  I  crossed  them 
with  some  Chinese  I  had,  and  by  so  doing,  both  ways,  pro- 
duced the  animals  I  named,  when  first  exhibited,  the 
'  Dorset  breed,'  although  not  properly ;  but  they  had, 
from  their  beauty,  previously  found  their  way  into  many 
farm-yards  in  the  county.  I  had  two  distinct  breeds  to 
begin  with  (Mr.  Coate  means,  I  presume,  the  Chinese- 
Turks  and  the  Turk-Chinese,)  which  I  kept  pure  a  long 
time  for  crossing  ;  but  as  both  wore  away,  have  used  my 
own  stock  as  far  akin  as  possible,  and  have  once  or  twice 
introduced  fresh  blood  by  getting  a  boar  as  much  like  my 
own  as  I  could.  I  have  tried  crosses  with  other  breeds, 
but  not  liking  the  offspring,  got  rid  of  them  again. 
Crosses  answer  well  for  profit  to  the  dairyman,  as  you  get 
more  constitution  and  quicker  growth ;  but  for  me,  who 
sell  a  great  number  of  pigs  for  breeding  purposes,  I  find 
it  will  not  do,  as  it  requires  many  years  to  get  anything 
like  purity  of  blood  again.  With  all  animals,  the  first  or 
second  cross  is  good  ;  but  if  you  ever  get  away  from  the 
pure  breed,  it  requires  years  and  great  attention  to  regain 
it,  as  the  cross  often  shows  itself  in  color  or  shape  years 
after  it  has  taken  place,  when  you  fancy  you  are  quite 
safe.' 

"  There  is  no  manner  of  doubt  that  Mr.  Coate's  Dorsets 
have  been  improved  by  a  strong  cross  of  Mr.  Hobbs'  im- 
proved Essex.  Experienced  pig  judges  tell  me  that  they 
carry  the  relationship  plainly  in  their  faces ;  and  this 

*  According  to  this  description,  they  did  not  in  the  least  resemhle  any  wild 
boar  I  have  ever  seen.— S.  S. 


90  HARRIS    ON   THE   PIG. 

would  be  a  safe  cross,  both  being  derived  from  Neapoli- 
tans. 

"  But  Dorset,  as  a  county,  is  so  far  from  being  celebrated 
for  pigs,  that  one  of  the  greatest  dairy  farmers,  who  feeds 
whole  herds,  writes  me — '  All  I  know  is,  that  our  breed 
of  pigs  is  very  bad.' 

"  They  are,  for  the  most  part,  black  and  white,  of  a  Berk- 
shire character.  The  ancient  Dorset  pig  is  said  to  have 
been  blue,  perhaps  the  original  of  the  blue  boar.  One 
well-known  parish  in  Dorset  is  called  l  Toller  Porcorum.'  " 

Mr.  Sidney  certainly  deserves  credit  for  the  boldness 
with  which  he  endeavors  to  classify  the  different  breeds 
of  English  pigs.  It  is  not  an  easy  or  an  agreeable  task. 

It  would  seem  from  the  facts  given  above  that  the 
White  Breeds  are  decidedly  of  a  mixed  origin.  The 
Yorkshire  breeders  furnish  pedigrees,  but  if  we  may  judge 
from  the  specimen  given  on  page  67,  these  pedigrees,  when 
analyzed,  show  conclusively  that  the  breeders  who  have 
been  most  celebrated  as  prize-winners,  have  found  it  de- 
sirable to  resort  to  an  occasional  cross.  They  have  aimed 
to  produce  a  pig  that  will  grow  rapidly,  and  fat  at  an 
early  age.  In  other  words,  they  have  aimed,  as  breeders, 
to  produce  what  we  want  as  feeders.  This  is,  we  think,  a 
mistake.  The  object  of  the  breeder  should  be  to  pro- 
duce a  pig  which,  when  crossed  with  common  sows,  will 
produce  the  best  pigs  for  fattening. 

Agricultural  Societies  will  not  allow  a  grade  Shorthorn, 
or  a  grade  Hereford,  or  a  grade  Devon,  or  a  grade  Ayr- 
shire to  compete  with  a  thorough-bred.  But  both  in 
England  and  America,  pigs  are  shown  without  reference  to 
pedigree ;  and  as  long  as  this  is  the  case,  the  breeders  of 
thorough-bred  pigs  receive  injury  rather  than  benefit  from 
these  exhibitions.  None  but  thorough-breds  should  be 
allowed  to  compete  with  thorough-breds.  The  importance 
of  "  pedigree  "  is  admitted,  but  the  societies  do  not  insist 


THE  MODERN   ENGLISH   BREEDS   OF  PIGS.  91 

upon  it,  and  the  consequence  is  that  nearly  all  the  prizes 
go  to  grade  pigs,  or  to  some  recently  made-up  breed. 

If  one  of  these  successful  exhibitors  of  a  made-up  breed 
is  a  conscientious  man,  he  endeavors  to  keep  his  pigs  pure, 
and  every  year  they  become  more  valuable  for  the  purpose 
of  improving  common  stock,  but  less  likely  to  take  a 
prize.  Mr.  Mangles'  York-Cumberlands,  of  which  we 
give  a  beautiful  portrait  on  page  66,  are  as  handsome  pigs 
as  can  be  desired ;  but  if  kept  pure  for  a  dozen  genera- 
tions, they  will  be  no  better  than  they  are  now  for  "  show" 
purposes;  in  fact,  they  will  probably  not  be  as  good. 
Some  newly  made-up  breed,  with  equal  refinement,  but 
with  stronger  digestive  organs,  will  take  on  fat  more 
rapidly  and  will  win  the  gold  medal — as  they  themselves 
did  when  not  half  as  valuable  for  the  purpose  of  im- 
proving ordinary  stock  as  they  are  now. 

We  cannot  better  conclude  this  account  of  the  English 
breeds  than  by  copying  the  following  remarks  from  Mr. 
Sidney's  book : 

"  It  will  be  right  to  say  a  few  words  about  two  or  three 
county  pigs  of  no  particular  merit,  but  which,  neverthe- 
less, are  '  familiar  in  our  mouths  as  household  words.' 
For  instance,  there  is  the  HAMPSHIRE  HOG — a  name  used, 
very  unjustly,  no  doubt,  to  designate  a  county  man  as 
well  as  a  county  pig.  There  are  some  very  pretty  things 
to  be  said  about  the  herds  of  swine  in  the  New  Forest, 
but  they  have  been  said  so  often,  that  they  are  scarcely 
worth  repeating.  The  county  animal  is  black  or  spotted 
with  red,  and  about  the  size  of  a  Berkshire,  but  coarser, 
and  has  had  less  attention  paid  to  its  improvement.  There 
are  also  a  considerable  number  of  white  pigs  in  Hamj> 
shire.  Like  every  other  breed  within  reach  of  a  good 
market,  they  have  been  much  improved  within  the  last 
twenty  years ;  but  no  Hampshire  man  has  made  himself 
celebrated  as  a  pig-breeder,  and  I  cannot  find  any  instance 
of  Hampshire  pigs  taking  prizes  at  the  Smithfield  Show; 


92  HARRIS    ON   THE  PIG. 

therefore,  it  may  be  concluded  that,  although  the  county 
abounds  in  useful  animals,  it  is  not  worth  while  to  resort 
to  it  either  for  establishing  a  new  or  improving  an  old 
breed.  Of  his  class,  the  Berkshire  is  a  better  animal  than 
the  dark  Hampshire  hog,  both  having,  when  unimproved, 
a  want  of  thickness  through  the  shoulder,  which  has  been 
corrected  by  a  cross  of  Neapolitan  or  Essex,  and  both  are 
slow  feeders. 

u  The  LINCOLNSHIRE  PIG  cannot  now  be  distinguished 
from  Yorkshire.  At  the  Lincoln  Royal  Agricultural  So- 
ciety's Show,  the  prizes  were  easily  earned  away  by 
Berkshires;  but  that  proves  nothing,  as  some  judges 
never  give  a  prize  to  a  white  pig,  and  others  never  to  a 
black  one. 

"  The  SUFFOLK,  a  white  pig,  once  appeared  frequently  in 
the  catalogues,  and  in  the  prize-lists  of  the  Smithfield 
Club  Show,  but  of  late  years  it  seems  to  have  given  way 
to  more  popular  names.  Suffolk  has  a  leading  breeder  of 
pigs  in  Mr.  Crisp,  of  Butley  Abbey ;  but  he  breeds  both 
black  pigs  and  white  pigs,  and  calls  his  black  pigs  Suf 
folks,  being  a  sort  of  cosmopolitan  breeder,  a  purchaser 
of  the  best  pigs  he  can  find  of  any  color.  His  most  cele- 
brated pigs  are  quite  black.  Mr.  Barthropp,  of  Creting- 
ham  Rookery,  celebrated  for  his  Suffolk  horses,  but  not  a 
pig-breeder,  writes  of  the  swine  of  his  native  county  in 
terms  which  might  be  applied  to  almost  every  district  not 
distinguished  by  a  thorough-bred  sort.  'The  old  Suf- 
folks  were  white,  with  rather  long  legs,  long  heads,  flat 
sides,  and  a  great  deal  of  coarse  hair ;  they  made  good 
bacon  hogs,  but  were  not  so  well  adapted  for  porkers  as 
the  present  improved  Suffolks  are.  These  are  the  white, 
with  short  heads,  and  long  cylindrical  bodies  upon  short 
legs,  and  fine  hair,  which  breeders  try  to  get  long,  fine, 
and  thin.  These  are  the  best  Suffolks ;  but  there  are  a 
great  many  about  the  county,  the  result  of  crosses  with 
the  black  Essex,  which  have  'no  character,'  although  they 


THE   MODERN   ENGLISH    BREEDS    OP   PIGS.  93 

are  useful  animals.'  The  best  Suffolks,  as  before  men- 
tioned, are  Yorkshire-Cumberlands,  that  have  emigrated 
and  settled  in  Suffolk,  and  thence  been  transported  to 
Windsor. 

"  The  NORFOLK  PIG,  also  described  by  Youatt,  is,  accord- 
ing to  the  report  of  one  of  the  best  farmers  in  the  county, 
'  an  indescribable  animal,  the  result  of  the  mixture  of 
many  breeds  in  a  hocus  pocus  or  porous  style  ;  and  al- 
though they  have  improved  of  late  years,  the  county 
stands  very  low  in  that  division  of  live-stock.'  '  They 
really  are  (writes  another  Norfolk  farmer)  a  disgrace  to 
our  county.  The  only  thing  to  recommend  them  is,  that 
they  are  great  breeders.  If  they  would  have  three  or 
four  less,  and  better  quality,  it  would  pay  better.'  In 
the  days  of  the  first  Earl  of  Leicester,  he  had,  of  course, 
some  good  pigs  for  the  time,  and  they  then  found  their 
way  into  book,  and  have  remained  there  ever  since.  The 
only  noted  pig-breeder  in  Norfolk  cultivates  the  improved 
Berkshire. 

"  BEDFORDSHIRE  cannot  boast  of  a  county  pig,  but  a  pig 
was  bred  at  Woburn,  white,  with  occasional  brown  spots, 
and  depicted  in  Youatt's  original  edition  of  this  book, 
which  I  have  the  very  best  Bedfordshire  authority  for 
saying,  was  '  a  good  sort  of  pig,  without  any  particular 
character,  good  feeders,  but  bad  swillers,  and  they  were 
therefore  allowed  to  die  out,  and  replaced  by  Berkshire 
sows,  crossed  with  Suffolk  boars.  Indeed,  the  Bedford- 
shire breed  were  so  little  known,  that  a  tenant  of  one  of 
the  first-class  farms  of  that  county  told  me  that  '  he  did 
not  know  that  they  had  a  breed  until  he  saw  it  marked 
over  one  of  Prince  Albert's  pens,  about  ten  years  ago,  at 
the  Smithfield  Club.' 

"  At  present  a  white  breed  is  the  most  fashionable,  which 
means  salable,  in  Bedfordshire. 

"  Another  very  eminent  Bedfordshire  farmer  says :  *  The 


94  HAEKIS    ON   THE    PIG. 

breed  of  pigs  in  this  county  is  wretchedly  bad,  and  has 
been  ever  since  I  have  known  it.' 

"  A  third  writes  me :  '  The  Woburn  breed,  described  by 
Youatt,  was  a  good  sort  of  pig,  of  no  particular  character, 
except  great  aptitude  to  fatten.  They  were  discontinued, 
in  consequence  of  the  sows  being  very  bad  Bucklers,  in 
favor  of  a  cross-bred  animal,  the  produce  of  Berkshire 
sows  and  white  Suffolk  boars,  the  best  that  could  be  got. 
These  are  prolific,  of  good  quality,  can  be  fed  at  any  age, 
and  to  a  fair  medium  weight.  A  cross  like  this  pays  the 
farmer  best.' 

"  Herefordshire  has  a  useful  white  pig,  but  no  attention 
has  been  paid  to  it. 

"  The  dairymen  in  Cheshire  breed  and  buy  a  great  many 
dark  pigs,  black,  black-spotted,  and  red-and-black,  of  the 
Shropshire  and  Welsh  breeds,  using  Berkshire  boars,  and 
also  Manchester  or  *  Yorkshire  '  boars. 

"  A  tenant  of  R.  Egerton  Warburton,  Esq.,  of  Arley 
Hall,  writes  in  answer  to  a  set  of  questions  which  that 
gentleman  was  kind  enough  to  circulate  among  his  tenants: 

" '  There  is  no  distinct  Cheshire  breed.  The  pigs  are 
mostly  cross-bred,  short-eared,  and  long-sided.  The  fa- 
vorite breed  is  a  cross  between  Berkshire  and  Chinese.' 

"  The  Shropshire,  of  which  great  numbers  are  introduced 
into  Cheshire  by  traveling  pig-jobbers,  are  of  a  dark  red- 
and-black  color,  long-snouted,  and  lengthy ;  not  very  fine 
in  the  coat. 

"  The  Welsh  pigs  are  generally  a  yellow-white,  but  some 
are  spotted  black-and-white. 

"The  (Cheshire)  dairymen  depend  more  on  these  Welsh- 
men and  proud  Salopians  than  on  breeding.  The  cross 
of  the  Manchester  boar  with  the  Shropshire  and  Welsh 
produces  a  larger  and  coarser  breed  than  the  small  York- 
shire. 

"  The  Cheshire  farmers  buy  in  their  stores  at  about  six- 
teen weeks,  feed  them  from  eight  to  twelve  months,  and 


THE   MODEHN   ENGLISH   BREEDS   OF  PIGS.  95 

sell  them  weighing  from  240  Ibs.  to  300  Ibs.  These  are 
considered,  in  Cheshire,  the  best  selling  weights  for  bacon. 
I  observe  that  the  farmer  who  uses  most  Welsh  pigs  keeps 
them  twelve  months,  and  sells  them  at  300  Ibs.,  which  will 
scarcely  pay  for  four  months  more  keep  than  the  York- 
shire, Manchester,  and  Shropshire  sold  after  eight  months. 

"  An  immense  improvement  has  taken  place  in  Cheshire 
pigs  within  the  last  thirty  years,  in  quality  and  weight. 
They  are  made  fat  at  least  six  months  sooner  than  thirty 
years  ago. 

"  One  farmer  says  few  or  no  Irish  pigs  are  brought  into 
Cheshire;  another,  a  good  many,  but  not  so  many  as 
formerly.  The  great  importation  is  of  Shropshire  and 
Welsh.  Yet  a  county  member,  who  ought  to  be  an  au- 
thority, writes  me  that  *  Shropshire  cannot  boast  of  a 
county  pig.' 

"  As  a  general  rule,  dark  pigs  would  seem  to  be  in  favor 
on  English  dairy  farms. 

"  The  MIDDLESEX  is  a  name  which  has  become  known 
from  winning  prizes  at  the  Smithfield  Club,  in  1841,  1848, 
1850,  1851,  1854,  1856.  It  is  not  a  county  pig,  but  of  the 
same  class  as  the  Windsor.  Mr.  Barber,  of  Slough, 
Buckinghamshire,  is  the  principal  breeder  and  exhibitor 
of  Middlesex.  Captain  Gunter  used  to  show  it  before  he 
settled  permanently  in  Yorkshire. 

"  The  NOTTINGHAMSHIRE  BREED,  whatever  that  may  be, 
has  won  one  prize  in  Baker-street,  and  the  Warwickshire 
crossed  with  Neapolitan  two,  many  years  ago. 


FANCY    BREEDS. 

"  By  fancy  breeds,  I  mean  pigs  named  after  a  person  or 
a  place.  The  prizes  awarded  to  pigs  at  the  Smithfield 
Club  Shows  are  a  very  good  evidence  that  the  breed,  if  a 


96  HARRIS   ON  THE   PIG. 

breed,  had  good  feeding  qualities,  although  it  may  not 
have  been  suited  for  the  ordinary  work  and  treatment  of 
a  farm.  Cross-bred  animals  have  had  the  greatest  suc- 
cess. Pure  Essex  and  Berkshire,  and  large  Yorkshires, 
have  not  met  as  much  success  as  at  breeding  stock  shows. 
The  most  successful  animals  at  Smithfield  have  been  cross- 
bred. The  prize- winning  white  pigs,  under  whatever 
name,  have  all  had  a  large  dash  of  Cumberland- York- 
Leicester  ;  the  black  pigs,  of  Neapolitan-Essex. 

"  Among  the  most  successful  exhibitors  at  the  Smithfield 
Club  Shows,  has  been  H.R.H.,  the  Prince  Consort,  with 
what  has  lately  been  called  the  Windsor  breed. 

"  This  is  a  white  pig,  the  result,  apparently,  of  many 
crosses,  the  prevailing  blood  being  small  York-Cumber- 
land. Thus,  H.R.H.  won,  according  to  printed  prize-list, 
in 

1846,  with  Bedfordshires. 

1847,  "  Bedfordshire  and  Yorks. 

1848,  "  Suffolks. 

1849,  "  Suffolks. 

1850,  "  Yorkshires. 

1851,  «  Bedfordshire  and  Suffolks. 

1852,  "  Suffolks. 

(These  were,  all  but  one,  second  prizes.) 

1853,  "     Suffolks. 

(First  prize  and  gold  medal  for  best  pen  of  pigs  in 
any  class.) 

1854,  "     Windsors. 

"  And  since  that  time  only  the  breed  has  been  called 
Windsors.  His  Royal  Highness  took  a  first  prize  in  small 
boars  at  Warwick  with  his  Windsor  breed,  and  a  com- 
mendation for  a  Berkshire  sow. 

"  It  is  a  tribe  greatly  in  demand  among  gentlemen  pig- 
breeders,  and  crosses  admirably  with  strong  county  sows. 

"  The  COLESHILL  is  a  white  pig,  closely  connected  with 


THE   MODERN   ENGLISH   BREEDS    OF   PIGS.  97 

the  York-Cumberlands  bred  at  Coleshill,  by  the  Earl  of 
Radnor,  who  had  stock  from  Earl  Ducie,  who  had  stock 
from  Mr.  Wyley,  of  Bransby,  Yorkshire,  and  Mr.  Brown, 
of  Cumberland,  for  more  than  twenty  years.  The  Coles- 
hills,  between  1847  and  1850,  had  great  success  at  the 
Smithfield  Club  Shows ;  since  that  time,  they  seem  to 
have  somewhat  lost  their  reputation,  and  two  of  my  York- 
shire correspondents  describe  them  as  *  toys.'  '  At  one 
time  they  were  of  a  good  size,  but  they  have  by  no  means 
maintained  the  even  character  that  would  entitle  them  to 
the  name  of  a  breed."  When  any  of  Lord  Radnor's  stock 
pass  into  other  hands  in  England,  the  produce  generally 
ceases  to  be  called  Coleshill  s.  They  become  Suffolks, 
Yorkshires,  Middlesex,  according  to  the  fancy  of  the 
breeder.  They  are  esteemed,  and  much  better  known 
among  the  fashionable  pig-breeders  in  France  than  in 
England,  and  there  their  opponents  term  them  '  drawing- 
room  pigs  ' — (cochons  de  salon).  The  Coleshills  carried 
off  first  prizes  and  gold  medals  at  the  Smithfield  Shows 
in  1846  and  1847,  and  second  prizes  in  1844,  1845,  1847, 
and  1850. 

"  The  BUSHEY  BREED  are  white,  bred  by  the  wealthy 
banker,  Mr.  Majoribanks,  and  were  long  called  York- 
shires, and  have  recently  been  named  after  their  place  of 
birth.  They  have  no  distinctive  character  to  distinguish 
them  from  their  competitors. 

"  The  BUCKINGHAMSHIRE  took  the  first  Smithfield  prize 
in  1840,  but  in  these  and  many  other  names  it  is  difficult 
to  find  any  distinctive  character." 

This  is  additional  evidence,  if  any  were  needed,  that 
the  most  successful  prize-winners  resort  to  crossing.  The 
whole  system  of  awarding  prizes  to  pigs  needs  a  thorough 
revision.  As  it  now  stands,  it  is  simply  a  means  of  ena- 
bling breeders  to  sell  highly  fed,  cross-bred  "  toys  "  at 
high  prices.  The  "  Prince  Albert  Suffolks,"  which  we  now 
5 


98  HARRIS    ON   THE    PIG. 

learn  are  nothing  but  high-bred  grades,  have  been  intro- 
duced into  the  United  States.  Perhaps  the  writer  has 
less  cause  than  he  supposed,  to  regret  that  one  which  he 
kept  until  four  years  old,  finally  found  her  way  to  the 
pork  barrel  without  ever  breeding  a  single  pig. 


CHAPTER    XI. 

BREEDS    OF    PIGS    IN    THE    UNITED    STATES. 

We  have  no  "  native  "  American  pig.  Our  stock  origin- 
ally came  from  Europe,  and  principally  from  Great 
Britain.  And  it  is  highly  probable  that  the  largest  and 
best  specimens  of  the  period  were  brought  over  by  the 
colonists ;  and  as  improvements  were  afterwards  effected 
in  England,  good  animals  of  the  improved  breeds  were 
imported. 

Attempts  have  also  been  made  to  improve  our  pigs  by 
using  Chinese  boars  and  their  crosses ;  and  there  can  be 
no  doubt  that  individual  breeders  in  this  way  succeeded 
in  effecting  a  great  improvement  in  the  early  maturity  and 
fattening  qualities  of  their  stock.  But  although  these 
attempts  attracted  considerable  attention  at  the  time,  the 
pigs  so  obtained  were  never  generally  popular.  They 
were  too  small  and  delicate  for  the  prevailing  taste  of  the 
period. 

In  1832,  the  Improved  Berkshires  were  introduced  into 
the  United  States,  and  soon  attracted  the  attention  they 
so  well  deserved.  In  the  course  of  half  a  dozen  years, 
they  were  introduced  into  nearly  every  State  in  the 
Union.  Breeders  became  excited.  The  agricultural  pa- 
pers were  filled  with  communications  extolling  the  merits 
of  the  Berkshires — and  after  a  careful  perusal  of  these 


BKEED3    OF   PIGS   IN   THE    UNITED    STATES.  09 

articles  at  this  time,  we  find  that  the  statements  were  not 
as  highly  colored  as  might  have  been  expected.  As  a 
rule,  the  pigs  were  quite  as  good  as  they  were  represented 
to  be.  It  was  hardly  to  be  expected  that  breeders  should 
say  to  intending  purchasers,  "  It  is  of  no  use  for  you  to 
get  a  well-bred  pig  unless  you  are  prepared  to  give  it  bet- 
ter treatment  than  you  do  the  common  sort."  The  trouble 
was  not  in  the  pigs,  but  in  the  farmers.  Berkshires  were 
fully  as  valuable  as  the  breeders  claimed,  and  yet  a  great 
and  wide-spread  disappointment  soon  manifested  itself. 
For  a  time  the  supply  was  not  equal  to  the  demand,  and 
doubtless  hundreds  of  pigs  were  sold  as  "  pure  Berk- 
shires  "  that  were  nothing  but  grades.  But  the  general 
complaint  was  that  the  Berkshires  were  not  large  enough. 
The  advocates  of  the  breed  met  this  complaint  by  state- 
ments of  weights,  giving  many  instances  where  the  Berk 
shires  and  their  grades  dressed  400  Ibs.  at  a  year  old,  and 
that  at  18  or  20  months  old,  they  could  be  made  to  weigh 
500  or  550  Ibs.,  dressed.  One  of  the  prominent  breeders 
stated  that  he  had  a  thorough-bred  Berkshire  that  gained 
496  Ibs.  in  166  days,  and  when  killed,  dressed  626  Ibs. 

To  meet  the  demand  for  large  pigs,  fresh  importations 
were  made  of  the  largest  Berkshires  that  could  be  found 
in  England.  One  boar,  "  Windsor  Castle,"  imported  in 
1841,  by  Mr.  A.  B.  Allen,  it  was  claimed  would  weigh,  at 
two  years  old,  when  in  good  flesh,  800  Ibs.  At  the  same 
time,  Mr.  Allen  deprecated  the  prevailing  taste  for  such 
large  hogs,  and  very  justly  argued  that  smaller  pigs,  with 
less  offal,  would  mature  earlier  and  fatten  more  rapidly  on 
a  given  amount  of  food.  But  then,  as  now,  the  demand 
was  for  the  largest  pigs  that  could  be  found,  and  it  is  said 
that  this  very  boar  was  afterwards  sold  to  a  gentleman  in 
Ohio  for  one  thousand  dollars. 

But  the  excitement  soon  began  to  abate.  Farmers  who 
had  paid  $50,  $100,  and,  in  one  instance  we  have  met  with, 
$250  for  a  single  pair  of  Berkshires,  found  that  their 


100  HARRIS    OX   THE    PIG. 

neighbors  did  not  like  the  looks  of  the  new  comers. 
Ordinary  pigs  were  selling  at  from  81  to  $3  per  cwt.,  and 
few  could  be  persuaded  to  pay  even  810  for  a  pair  of 
thorough-breds.  Thus  ended  the  Berkshire  excitement. 
The  reaction  was  so  great,  that  for  years  afterwards  there 
were  farmers  who  would  not  have  received  as  a  gift  the 
best  Berkshire  in  the  world.  And  to  this  day,  thous- 
ands who  do  not  know  a  Berkshire  pig  when  they  see  it, 
have  a  very  decided  prejudice  against  the  breed. 

A  few  years  later,  the  Suffolks  were  introduced  by  the 
Messrs.  Isaac  &  Josiah  Stickney,  of  Boston.  These  gen- 
tlemen unquestionably  procured  the  best  specimens  of  the 
breed  that  could  be  purchased  in  England,  and  they  bred 
them  with  great  care  and  skill.  Other  importations  were 
made,  and  the  Suffolks  have  probably  been  more  exten- 
sively diffused  throughout  the  New  England,  Middle,  and 
Western  States  than  any  other  improved  English  breed. 

About  the  same  time,  the  Improved  Essex  were  intro- 
duced, but,  being  entirely  black,  they  never  became  popu- 
lar in  the  Northern  States.  They  are  principally  in  the 
hands  of  our  large  stock  breeders,  and  other  gentlemen  of 
wealth,  but  are  rarely  found  on  ordinary  farms.  Being 
in  the  hands  of  men  knowing  the  value  of  pedigree, 
they  are  probably,  to-day,  as  "pure-bred"  pigs  as  can  be 
found  in  the  United  States  or  in  England. 

The  large  Yorkshires  were  introduced  soon  after  the 
breed  became  noted  in  England,  and  importations  have 
been  made  from  time  to  time.  But  no  special  efforts  have 
been  made  to  create  an  excitement  in  regard  to  this  breed, 
and  it  has  not  been  extensively  diffused.  The  small  York- 
shires, or  Prince  Albert  Suffolks,  were  introduced  about 
ten  years  ago,  and,  for  a  time,  attracted  considerable  at- 
tention. But  they  are  not  favorites  with  the  majority  of 
farmers. 

The  above  comprise  the  principal  English  breeds  that 
have  attracted  any  special  attention  in  this  country,  and 


BREEDS    OF   PIGS   IX   THE   UNITED    STATES.  101 

before  alluding  to  breeds  originating  in  the  United  States, 
it  may  be  well  to  inquire  why  these  valuable  English 
breeds  have  never  been  favorites  with  the  generality  of 
our  farmers  ? 

That  these  breeds  are  not  now,  and  never  have  been 
popular,  is  unquestionably  a  fact.  Except  some  kept  by 
the  writer,  we  do  not  know  of  a  single  thorough-bred 
Berkshire,  Essex,  Suffolk,  or  Yorkshire  pig  within  ten 
miles,  and  it  is  doubtful  whether  there  are  any  in  the 
county,  although  they  have  been  repeatedly  introduced. 
As  a  general  rule,  these  thorough-bred  pigs  are  kept  only 
by  persons  who  raise  them  to  sell  for  breeding  purposes. 
They  are  not  kept  for  the  sole  object  of  making  pork. 
For  the  latter  purpose  they  are  seldom  as  profitable  as  the 
offspring  of  a  good  common  sow  and  a  thorough-bred  boar. 

The  handsomest  pigs  we  have  ever  seen  were  so  ob- 
tained ;  and  one  would  think  that  farmers,  seeing  such  a 
result,  would  continue  to  use  thorough-bred  boars.  But 
such  is  seldom  the  case.  They  prefer  to  use  one  of  these 
large  handsome  grades,  rather  than  the  smaller  and  more 
refined  thorough-breds,  and  in  this  way  the  beneficial  in- 
fluence of  the  improved  blood  is  soon  lost. 

We  think  this  is  the  principal  reason  why  these  highly- 
refined  English  breeds  are  not  favorites  with  ordinary 
farmers.  Their  real  value  consists  in  their  perfection  of 
form,  smallness  of  bone  and  offal,  and  the  great  develop- 
ment of  the  ham,  shoulder,  cheeks,  and  other  valuable 
parts  ;  and  added  to  this  is  their  ability  to  transmit  these 
qualities  to  their  offspring.  This  ability  is  in  proportion 
to  their  purity,  and  hence  the  value  of  pedigree.  When 
one  of  these  pure-bred  boars  is  put  to  a  good  grade  or 
common  sow,  we  get  precisely  what  we  want — pigs  hav- 
ing the  form,  the  refinement,  the  early  maturity,  smallness 
of  offal,  and  tendency  to  fatten  of  the  thorough-bred, 
combined  with  the  vigor,  constitution,  appetite,  and  great 
digestive  powers  of  the  larger  and  coarser  sow.  In  other 


102  HARRIS    ON   THE   PIG. 

words,  as  far  as  the  production  of  pork  is  concerned,  we 
get  a  perfect  pig — and  there  the  improvement  ends.  We 
have  attained  our  object,  and  all  that  we  have  to  do  is  to 
repeat  the  process.  To  select  boars  from  these  grade  pigs, 
and  to  use  them  in  hopes  of  getting  something  better,  is 
mere  folly.  It  can  lead  to  nothing  but  disappointment. 
And  yet  this  is  the  common  practice  of  those  who  are, 
once  in  a  while,  induced  to  try  the  thorough-breds.  They 
soon  find  themselves  possessed  of  a  stock  of  non-descript 
pigs,  none  of  them  equal  to  the  first  cross,  and  some  of 
them  inferior  to  the  sow  first  put  to  the  thorough-bred 
boar.  Then  we  hear  complaints  of  the  "  degeneracy" 
of  the  improved  breeds,  when,  in  point  of  fact,  no  sensi- 
ble man  could  expect  any  other  result.  Another  cause 
of  the  unpopularity  of  the  thorough-bred  English  pigs  is, 
the  wretched  treatment  to  which  they  are  often  subjected. 
When  we  first  commenced  keeping  thorough-bred  pigs,  a 
farmer  of  the  neighborhood  who,  some  years  before,  had 
paid  a  high  price  for  a  pair  of  Suffolk  pigs,  and  who  failed 
to  raise  a  single  thorough-bred  pig  from  them,  remarked, 
"  You  will  soon  get  tired  of  this  business.  I  have  tried 
it.  They  won't  breed.  You  are  keeping  them  too  fat. 
The  only  way  to  treat  them  is  to  turn  them  to  a  straw 
stack,  and  let  them  live  on  that."  The  fact  that  he  never 
raised  a  pig  from  his  sow  did  not  commend  his  treatment, 
and  we  continued  feeding  our  pigs  sufficient  food  to  keep 
them  growing  rapidly,  and  have  had  no  cause  to  regret  it. 
The  only  sow  that  has  ever  failed  to  breed  with  us  was  a 
Prince  Albert  Suffolk,  purchased  in  the  neighborhood 
from  a  farmer  who  had  probably  tried  the  "  straw-stack  " 
mode  of  feeding. 

The  aim  of  a  good  breeder  of  pigs  is  to  get  a  breed 
that  will  grow  rapidly  and  mature  early.  And  the  better 
the  breed,  the  more  rapidly  will  they  grow.  But  the  best 
stove  in  the  world  cannot  give  out  heat  without  a  supply 
of  fuel ;  neither  can  the  best-bred  pig  in  the  world  grow 


BREEDS    OF   PIGS   Itf   THE    UNITED    STATES.  108 

rapidly  without  food ;  and  the  more  thoroughly  the 
power  to  grow  rapidly  has  become  established  by  long 
and  careful  breeding,  the  less  capable  does  the  pig  be- 
come to  stand  starvation.  It  may  sometimes  be  necessary 
to  starve  a  pig  for  a  short  time  when  it  has  become  too 
fat.  In  this  case  the  pig  gets  food  from  its  own  fat  and 
flesh,  and  sustains  no  permanent  injury.  But  to  starve  a 
young,  growing  pig,  is  always  injurious — and  the  more 
rapidly  the  pig  is  designed  to  grow,  the  more  detrimental 
and  permanent  will  be  the  effects  of  such  treatment.  The 
handsomest  lot  of  white  pigs  we  have  ever  raised,  were 
from  a  sow  got  by  a  thorough-bred  Earl  of  Sefton  (York- 
shire) boar.  She  was  a  very  large  sow,  and  not  coarse  for 
her  size.  This  sow  we  put  to  a  thorough-bred  highly  re- 
fined Prince  Albert  Suffolk,  and  had  a  litter  of  "  beauties." 
There  was  not  a  poor  pig  among  them,  and  they  were  so 
uniform  that  it  was  difficult  to  tell  one  from  another.  The 
sow  had  been  liberally  fed,  and  at  the  time  of  pigging 
was  very  fat,  and  we  continued  to  feed  her  and  the  little 
ones  all  they  would  eat.  The  result  was  a  lot  of  pigs 
that  we  have  never  seen  excelled.  Encouraged  by  this 
result,  we  purchased  from  a  neighbor,  at  an  extra  price, 
a  litter  of  pigs  got  by  the  same  thorough-bred  boar,  and 
at  the  same  time  another  litter  of  common  pigs  from  an- 
other neighbor.  Both  litters  ran  together,  and  had  the 
same  food  and  treatment,  and  the  common  pigs  did  better 
than  the  grade  Suffolks. 

The  grade  Suffolks  were,  in  fact,  decidedly  poor  pigs — 
a  very  different  lot  from  the  pigs  from  our  own  sow,  got 
by  the  same  boar.  One  cause  of  the  difference  must 
probably  be  assigned  to  the  fact  that  the  sow  was  not  as 
large  or  as  good  as  ours,  and  was  not  as  well  fed.  And 
another  reason  for  the  difference  was,  the  pigs,  for  the  first 
two  months,  had  not  had  all  the  food  they  were  capable 
of  eating.  They  never  recovered  from  this  neglect,  and 
the  common  pigs  were  a  stronger,  more  vigorous  and 


104  HARRIS    ON   THE   PIG. 

healthier  lot,  and  ultimately  made  much  the  heaviest 
pork.  If  we  had  had  no  other  experience  than  this,  we 
should  certainly  condemn  thorough-bred  pigs.  But  we 
know  that  the  fault  was  not  in  the  breed,  but  in  the  treat- 
ment which  the  sow  and  her  young  litter  had  received. 
Common  pigs  are  better  than  improved  pigs  that  have 
been  injured,  while  young,  by  neglect  and  starvation, 
but  the  improved  pigs,  if  the  mother  has  been  liberally 
fed,  and  they  themselves  are  allowed  as  much  food  as 
they  require  to  grow  rapidly,  will  be  found  altogether  su- 
perior to  the  common  pigs,  and  vastly  more  profitable. 

To  say  that,  up  to  the  time  they  shut  them  up  to  fat- 
ten, the  majority  of  farmers  half  starve  their  pigs,  will 
not  be  considered  too  strong  an  assertion  by  any  one  who 
has  turned  his  attention  to  the  subject.  And  this  being 
the  case,  it  is  very  evident  that  the  improved  English 
breeds  cannot  be  popular — and  the  same  is  true  of  all 
other  improved  breeds  of  animals.  We  must  adopt  a 
better  system  of  farming  before  we  can  hope  to  see  the 
improved  breeds  of  cattle,  sheep,  and  pigs  generally  in- 
troduced and  fully  appreciated.  Improved  breeds  necessi- 
tate improved  farming,  and  improved  farming  cannot  be 
very  profitable  without  improved  breeds,  improved  seeds, 
and  improved  implements.  To  tell  a  poor  farmer  that  "  it 
is  just  as  easy  to  raise  a  good  animal  as  a  poor  one,"  is 
telling  him  what,  in  his  case,  is  not  true.  If  he 
thinks  he  can  do  so  merely  by  buying  one  or  two  im- 
proved animals  to  start  with,  he  will  soon  find  out  his 
mistake.  He  should  first  improve  his  farm,  and  adopt  a 
better  system  of  feeding  and  management,  and  then  he 
will  find  it  nearly  as  easy  to  raise  good  animals  as  pool- 
ones,  and  vastly  more  profitable. 


We  are  now  prepared  to  consider  the  breeds  of  pigs 
which  are  most  popular  in  the  United  States,  and  may  be 
able  to  discover  the  cause  of  their  popularity. 


BREEDS    OF    PIGS    IN   THE    UNITED    STATES. 


CHESTER     COUNTY     WHITE     PIGS.       (Figure  27.) 


105 


The  most  popular  and  extensively  known  breed  of  pigs 
in  the  United  States  at  this  time  is,  unquestionably,  the 
Chester  County  breed,  or,  as  they  are  generally  called,  the 
"Chester  Whites."  The  rearing  and  shipping  of  these 
pigs  has  become  a  very  large  and  profitable  business. 
One  firm  alone  in  Chester  Co.,  Penn.,  informs  us  that,  for 
the  last  three  or  four  years,  they  have  shipped  from  2,500 
to  2,900  of  these  pigs  each  year,  and  many  other  breed- 
ers have  also  distributed  large  numbers  of  them. 

There  are  several  reasons  why  the  Chester  Whites  are 


Fig.  27.— CHESTER   COUNTY  WHITE. 


more  popular  than  the  English  breeds.  In  the  first  place, 
they  are  a  large,  rather  coarse,  hardy  breed,  of  good  con- 
stitution, and  well  adapted  to  the  system  of  management 
ordinarily  adopted  by  the  majority  of  our  farmers.  They 
are  a  capital  sort  of  common  swine,  and  it  is  certainly  for- 
tunate that  they  have  been  so  extensively  introduced  into 
nearly  all  sections  of  the  country.  Wherever  Chester 
Whites  have  been  introduced,  there  will  be  found  sows 
5* 


10G  HAEKIS    ON   THE   PIG. 

admirably  suited  to  cross  with  the  refined  English  breeds. 
No  cross  could  be  better  than  a  Chester  White  sow  and 
an  Essex,  Berkshire,  or  Small  Yorkshire  thorough-bred 
boar.  We  get  the  form,  refinement,  early  maturity,  and 
fattening  qualities  of  the  latter,  combined  with  the  strong 
digestive  powers,  hardiness,  and  vigorous  growth  of  the 
Chester  Whites.  If  the  first  cross  does  not  give  pigs 
possessing  sufficient  refinement  and  early  maturity,  a 
good,  thrifty,  well-formed  sow  should  be  selected  from  the 
litter  and  put  to  a  thorough-bred  boar,  and  this  second 
cross  will,  so  far  as  our  experience  goes,  be  as  refined  as 
is  desirable  for  ordinary  farm  pigs.  When  the  pigs  are 
to  be  killed  at  four  or  five  months  old  for  fresh  pork,  a 
sow  may  be  selected  from  this  second  cross,  and  again  put 
to  a  thorough-bred  boar.  This  is  probably  as  far  as  it  is 
desirable  to  carry  the  refining  process.  The  pigs  from 
this  third  cross  would  have  871 12  per  cent  of  thorough- 
bred blood  in  them,  and  so  far  as  the  production  of  pork 
is  concerned,  would  be  more  profitable  than  the  thorough- 
breds. 

We  think  this  is  the  proper  use  to  make  of  the  Chester 
White  pigs.  They  have  many  excellent  qualities.  They 
are  large,  hardy,  strong,  vigorous,  have  good  constitu- 
tions, breed  well,  and  are  good  mothers.  Whether,  as  a 
breed,  they  are  thoroughly  established,  is  rather  doubtful. 
There  are  probably  families  among  them  that  have  been 
bred  long  enough  to  permanently  establish  their  good 
qualities.  But  it  is  certain  that  many  Chester  Whites 
have  been  sent  out  that  produce  litters,  the  pigs  of  which 
differ  from  each  other  as  widely  as  the  litters  of  common 
sows — and  far  more  widely  than  the  litter  of  a  common 
sow  put  to  a  thorough-bred  boar. 

Paschall  Morris,  of  Philadelphia,  who  has  bred  Chester 
Whites  for  many  years,  and  who  is  thoroughly  acquaint- 
ed with  the  breed,  describes  them  as  follows :  "  They  are 
generally  recognized  now  as  the  best  breed  in  this  coun- 


BREEDS    OF   PIGS   IN   TIIE    UNITED    STATES.  107 

try,  coming  fully  up  to  the  requirements  of  a  farmer's 
hog,  and  are  rapidly  superseding  Suffolks,  Berkshires,  and 
other  smaller  breeds. 

"The  best  specimens  maybe  described  as  long  and  deep 
in  the  carcass,  broad  and  straight  on  the  back,  short  in 
the  leg,  full  in  the  ham,  full  shoulder,  well  packed  for- 
ward, admitting  of  no  neck,  very  small  proportionate 
head,  short  nose,  dish  face,  broad  between  the  eyes,  moder- 
ate ear,  thin  skin,  straight  hair,  a  capacity  for  great  size 
and  to  gain  a  pound  per  day  until  they  are  two  years  old. 
Add  to  these,  quiet  habits,  and  an  easy  taking  on  of  fat,  so 
as  to  admit  of  being  slaughtered  at  almost  any  age,  and 
we  have,  what  is  considered  in  Chester  County,  a  careful- 
ly bred  animal,  and  what  is  known  elsewhere  as  a  fine 
specimen  of  a  breed  called  '  Chester  County  White.' 
They  have  reached  weights  of  from  600  to  900  Ibs. 

"We  have  recently  heard  of  a  case  where  a  farmer  in  the 
West  had  purchased  some  pigs  from  Chester  County,  and 
wrote  back  that  part  of  them  were  full-blood,  part  half- 
blood,  and  part  no  Chesters  at  all.  We  know  of  another 
case  where  a  purchaser  insisted  that  a  pig  from  Chester 
County  was  half  Suffolk. 

"There  is  considerable  misapprehension  about  the  Ches- 
ter County  breed,  so-called.  It  is  constantly  forgotten 
that  it  is  not  an  original,  but  a  made  up  breed.  They 
differ  from  each  other  quite  as  much  as  any  one  known 
breed  differs  from  another.  We  have  often  seen  them, — 
and  the  offspring,  too,  of  good  animals, — with  long  noses, 
whicli  would  root  up  an  acre  of  ground  in  a  very  short 
time,  slab-sided,  long-legged,  uneasy,  restless  feeders,  re- 
sembling somewhat  the  so-called  race-horse  breed  at  the 
South,  that  will  keep  up  with  a  horse  all  day  on  ordinary 
travel,  and  that  will  go  over  a  fence  instead  of  taking 
much  trouble  to  go  through  it.  They  show  more  develop- 
ment of  head  than  ham,  and  as  many  bristles  as  hair,  and 
are  as  undesirable  a  hog  as  can  well  be  picked  up.  Any 


108  HA  KRIS    ON   THE   PIG. 

traveler  through  Chester  County  can  see  such  specimens 
continually.  The  standard  of  excellence  in  all  animals, 
no  matter  how  high  or  how  pure  may  be  the  breed,  so- 
called,  is  only  to  be  kept  up  by  judicious  care  in  feeding, 
breeding  and  management.  If  either  is  neglected,  they 
are  sure  to  run  out,  and  go  down  hill.  With  swine  most 
especially,  '  the  breed  is  said  to  be  in  the  trough.' 

"  When  persons  speak,  therefore,  of  a  pure  Chester  hog, 
or  a  half-blood,  or  a  quarter-blood,  we  consider  it  only 
absurd.  There  is  no  such  thing.  By  an  original  breed  is 
meant,  one  that  has  been  long  established,  and  of  which 
there  are  peculiar  marks  and  qualities  by  which  it  has 
been  long  known,  and  which  can  be  carried  down  by 
propagation.  Such  is  the  Devon  cow  and  the  South- 
down sheep.  The  difference  in  results  between  an  original 
and  a  recently  made  up  breed  may  be  compared  to  that 
between  a  seedling  and  grafted  variety  of  fruit.  If  the 
seed  of  a  very  fine  pear  or  apple  is  planted,  there  is  no 
certainty,  perhaps  no  probability,  that  the  fruit  will  be 
the  same  as  the  parent.  A  graft  of  the  parent  tree,  how- 
ever, always  produces  the  same.  The  results  of  the  other 
are  accidental.  The  law  of  breeding  domestic  animals, 
that  c  like  produces  like,'  applies  more  certainly  to  dis- 
tinct and  original  breeds,  like  Devons  or  Southdown  s, 
than  to  a  made  up  breed  of  recent  origin,  like  the  Chester 
County  hog.  The  owner  of  a  very  fine  animal,  who,  for 
several  years,  has  been  selecting  his  stock  carefully,  and 
feeding  them  liberally,  has  the  chances  greatly  in  his  favor 
that  c  like  will  produce  like,'  but  there  are  very  often  to 
be  seen  very  poor  specimens  from  good  parentage,  and 
also  very  good  individual  animals  from  very  inferior  pa- 
rents. We  have  one  now  which,  at  a  year  old,  will  not 
weigh  over  250  Ibs.  ;  she  is  the  offspring  of  large  and 
well-shaped  parents.  In  adjoining  pens  are  others  which, 
at  the  same  age,  will  weigh  about  400  Ibs.  The  hair, 
sometimes,  is  straight,  at  others,  waved  or  curly.  The 


BREEDS    OF   PIGS    IN    THE    UNITED    STATES.  109 

ear  is  often  small  and  erect,  then  again  large,  thick,  and 
lopped,  like  that  of  an  elephant.  Blue  spots  often  appear 
on  the  skin,  and  sometimes  black  spots  on  the  hair.  These 
and  other  great  variations,  in  external  form  and  other 
qualities  show  that  the  Chester  County  pig  represents  his 
individual  self,  and  is  not  a  type  of  a  well  established 
breed. 

"In  the  best  specimens  there  are,  however,  a  contribu- 
tion of  more  valuable  points  than  belong  to  any  other. 
As  Ellman  and  Webb  and  Bake  well  did  with  sheep,  and 
with  a  far  less  favorable  starting  point,  it  is  hoped  some 
one  may  be  found  to  take  up  the  Chester  County  hog, 
and,  by  a  persevering  course  of  careful  selections,  breed 
him  up  to  a  still  higher  standard,  and  give  him  a  more 
definite  type  and  character. 

"Any  one  can  do  this  for  himself,  but  the  constant  varia- 
tions in  their  appearance  would  seem  to  show  that  it  has 
not  yet  been  done  by  any  one.  An  impure  Southdown 
lamb  cannot  be  produced  from  a  full-bred  dam  and  sire ; 
and  yet  a  misshapen  and  ill-shaped  pig  is  sometimes  pro- 
duced from  what  are  called  '  pure  Chesters.' '' 

Coming  from  a  distinguished  advocate  and  breeder  of 
Chester  County  pigs,  this  statement  is  as  candid  as  it  is 
explicit.  We  may  take  it  for  granted  that  the  Chester 
Whites  are  not  an  established  breed,  like  the  Berkshires 
or  Essex.  They  will  not  breed  true.  This  would  not  be 
so  very  objectionable  in  itself,  but  it  follows  that,  when 
we  wish  to  improve  our  common  stock,  we  should  not  re- 
sort to  a  Chester  County  boar.  It  is  an  axiom  in  breed- 
ing that  we  should  use  nothing  but  thorough-bred  males. 
Chester  County  sows,  when  judiciously  selected,  are  far 
superior  to  our  ordinary  run  of  pigs,  and  this  breed  will 
long  continue  valuable  for  the  purpose  of  furnishing  good 
breeding  sows  to  cross  with  some  good  thorough-bred 
boar  of  the  English  breeds. 

And  it  may  be,  as  Mr.  Morris  suggests,  that  we  shall 


110  HARKIS    OX   THE   PIG. 

be  able  to  so  improve  the  Chester  County  pigs  by  such 
"  a  persevering  course  of  careful  selections,"  as  to  give 
the  breed  a  better  and  "  more  definite  type  and  character," 
and  to  so  thoroughly  establish  these  characters,  that  we 
may  use  the  boars  with  a  reasonable  prospect  of  improv- 
ing any  common  breed  with  which  they  are  crossed.  Until 
this  is  done,  however,  it  will  be  a  mistake  to  use  Chester 
County  boars,  except  for  the  purpose  of  obtaining  large, 
vigorous  sows,  to  be  crossed  with  some  thoroughly  estab- 
lished breed. 

The  "  Hog  Breeders'  Manual,"  a  little  work  published 
in  the  interest  of  Chester  County  pigs,  says :  "  The 
Chester  and  Suffolk  make  a  very  fine  cross.  If  a  new 
breed  could  be  made  by  crossing  these  two  breeds,  and 
continuing,  and  the  offspring  were  a  uniform  mixture  of 
the  two,  I  should  consider  it  the  maximum  of  perfection." 

In  other  words,  the  Chester  Whites  are  too  coarse,  and 
need  to  be  refined  by  crossing  with  some  of  the  thorough- 
bred English  breeds.  This  is  undoubtedly  true;  and 
coming  from  a  prominent  breeder  of  Chester  Whites,  may 
be  regarded  as  decisive  on  this  point.  But  why  should  a 
farmer  wish  for  a  "  new  breed  "  when,  by  using  a  thor- 
ough-bred Suffolk  boar  on  a  Chester  White  sow,  he  can 
attain  at  one  step  the  cc  maximum  of  perfection  ?"  True, 
he  cannot  breed  from  these  perfect  pigs.  He  cannot  hope 
to  make  them  "  more  perfect ;"  but,  by  continuing  to  use 
thorough-bred  boars,  he  is  always  sure  of  obtaining  good 
pigs.  What  more  is  needed  ?  We  think  it  would  be  a 
mistake  if  the  Chester  White  breeders  should  refine  their 
pigs  too  much.  The  chief  value  of  the  breed  consists  in 
its  size  and  vigor,  and  in  furnishing  strong,  healthy  sows, 
to  be  crossed  with  thorough-bred  boars  of  a  refined  breed. 
There  is  no  object  to  be  gained  by  refining,  or,  in  other 
words,  reducing  the  size  and  vigor,  of  the  Chester  Whites. 


BREEDS    OF   PIGS    IN   THE    UNITED    STATES.  Ill 

,  * 

THE    "  CHESHIRE,"  OR  JEFFERSON  COUNTY  PIGS.       (Fig.  28.) 

This  is  a  breed  of  pigs  originating  in  Jefferson  County, 
N".  Y.  For  a  dozen  years  or  more  they  have  been  exhibit- 
ed at  the  Fairs  of  the  1ST.  Y.  State  Agricultural  Society, 
and  for  the  last  six  or  seven  years  have  carried  off  nearly 
all  the  prizes  offered  for  pigs  of  the  large  breed.  They 
were  first  exhibited,  to  the  best  of  our  recollection,  under 
the  names  of  "  Cheshire  and  Yorkshire,"  and  afterwards 
as  "  Improved  Cheshires,"  and  in  1868,  one  of  the  largest 
breeders  exhibited  them  as  "Improved  Yorkshires." 


Fig.  28. — JEFFERSON  COUNTY  PIG. 

These  different  names,  in  different  years,  indicate  the  nature 
of  the  breed.  They  have  been  very  extensively  distrib- 
uted throughout  the  country,  and  especially  in  the  West, 
under  the  name  of  "  Cheshires."  It  would  be  better,  we 
think,  to  call  them  the  "  Jefferson  County  "  pigs,  as  in- 
dicating the  place  rather  than  the  nature  of  their  origin. 
The  latter  is  uncertain,  while  there  can  be  no  doubt  that 
Jefferson  County  is  entitled  to  the  credit  of  establishing  a 
very  popular  and  valuable  breed  of  pigs. 

The  old  Cheshire  pig  was  one  of  the  largest  and  coarsest 
breeds  in  England,  but  Sidney  says  "  these  unprofitable 


HARRIS    ON   THE   PIG. 

giants  are  now  almost  extinct."  A  Cheshire  (England) 
correspondent  of  this  author  writes,  under  date  March  17, 
1860,  as  follows :  "  The  old  gigantic,  long-legged,  long- 
eared  pig,  of  a  large  patched  black  and  white  color,  is  all 
but  extinct.  My  son  met  with  a  fine  specimen  last  year 
in  a  sow  which  he  brought  to  breed  with  our  boar  of  the 
Berkshire  small  breed,  but  changed  his  mind  and  fed  her. 
She  showed  no  propensity  for  fattening  at  two  years  old. 
She  weighed,  when  killed,  42  score,  12  Ibs. — 852  Ibs; 
but  as  3'|  4  d.  per  pound  was  the  best  we  could  get  for 
her,  we  took  her  for  the  family,  and  the  meat  was  surpris- 
ingly good.  She  was  lean  fleshed.  The  hams  weighed 
77  Ibs  each." 

It  is  said  that  a  large  sow  of  the  old  Cheshire  breed 
was  taken  from  Albany  to  Jefferson  County,  and  about 
the  same  time  some  thorough-bred  Yorkshires  were  intro- 
duced into  the  same  neighborhood  from  England.  We 
have  not  been  able  to  definitely  establish  the  fact,  but  it 
is  highly  probable  that  the  pigs  which  were  first  exhibited 
at  the  N.  Y.  State  Fair  as  "  Cheshire  and  Yorkshire " 
were  from  Yorkshire  boars,  crossed  with  the  descendants 
of  this  sow.  The  pigs,  as  we  recollect  them  when  first 
exhibited,  were  very  large,  rather  coarse,  but  well  shaped. 
Since  then,  they  have,  from  year  to  year,  approximated 
more  closely  to  the  Yorkshires.  They  are  still  large,  but 
have  finer  bones  and  ears.  The  best  specimens,  as  shown 
by  the  leading  breeders,  are  as  handsome  pigs  as  can  be 
desired.  Color,  white  ;  small,  fine  ears,  short  snout,  with 
a  well-developed  cheek ;  long  and  square  bodied ;  good 
shoulders  and  hams,  and  very  small  bones  for  such  large 
hogs. 

As  compared  with  the  Chester  County  breed,  they  are 
nearly  or  quite  as  large,  have  finer  bones,  ears,  and  snout, 
and  are  altogether  superior  in  form,  beauty,  and  refine- 
ment to  any  Chester  Whites  we  have  ever  happened  to 
see.  They  have  doubtless  obtained  this  refinement  from 


BREEDS    OF   PIGS    IN   THE   UNITED   STATES.  113 

the  Yorkshires.  The  leading  breeders  in  Jefferson  County 
admit  very  freely  that  the  breed  is  of  mixed  origin,  but 
it  is  claimed  that  they  have  been  kept  pure  sufficiently 
long  to  thoroughly  establish  the  breed.  We  believe  that 
this,  at  any  rate,  has  been  the  aim  of  some  of  the  breed- 
ers. When  thoroughly  established,  the  breed  will  occupy 
a  similar  position  to  pure-bred  large  Yorkshires.  The 
boars  will  be  useful  to  cross  with  coarse  Chester  White 
sows,  where  larger  hogs  are  desired  than  can  be  obtained 
by  using  Berkshire,  Essex,  or  Suffolk  boars. 

THE   MAGIE    (OHIO)    PIGS. 

The  Hon.  John  M.  Millikin,  in  his  Prize  Essay  on  the 
Agriculture  of  Butler  County,  Ohio,  gives  an  account  of 
a  large  breed  of  pigs  which  have  obtained  considerable 
celebrity  in  some  parts  of  the  West.  He  says  : 

"  No  county  in  the  United  States,  of  equal  area,  has 
produced  so  many  hogs  of  a  superior  quality  as  the  county 
of  Butler.  The  breed  which  is  so  highly  esteemed  by  our 
farmers  is  the  result  of  careful  and  judicious  breeding, 
conducted  by  our  best  breeders  in  this  county,  and  the 
adjoining  county  of  Warren,  for  the  last  forty  years. 

"The  precise  history  of  the  method  adopted  to  produce 
this  popular  breed  of  hogs  cannot  be  given  as  fully  and 
as  reliably  as  its  present  value  and  importance  demand. 
The  best  information,  of  a  reliable  character,  which  can 
be  obtained,  gives  us  to  understand  that  as  early  as  about 
1820,  some  hogs  of  an  improved  breed  were  obtained  and 
crossed  upon  the  then  prevailing  stock  of  the  county. 
Among  the  supposed  improved  breeds  of  hogs,  there  were 
the  Poland  and  Byefield.  They  are  represented  as  being 
exceedingly  large  hogs,  of  great  length,  coarse  bone,  and 
deficient  in  fattening  qualities.  Subsequently  more  de- 
sirable qualities  were  sought  for,  and  the  stock  produced 
by  the  crosses  with  Poland,  Byefield,  and  other  breeds, 


114  HAKRIS   ON  THE    PIG. 

underwent  very  valuable  modifications  by  being  bred 
with  an  esteemed  breed  of  hogs  then  becoming  known, 
and  which  were  called  the  Big  China.  They  possessed 
important  qualities  in  which  the  other  breeds  were  sadly 
deficient.  At  a  later  period,  Mr.  Wm.  Neff,  of  Cincin- 
nati, an  extensive  pork  packer,  and  fond  of  fine  cattle  and 
hogs,  made  some  importations  of  fine  stock  from  England. 
Among  them  were  some  Irish  Graziers.  They  were  white 
in  color,  of  fair  size,  fine  in  the  bone,  and  possessing  ad- 
mirable fattening  qualities.  Berkshires,  about  the  same 
time,  were  attracting  much  attention,  and  both  breeds 
were  freely  crossed  with  the  then  existing  stock  of  the 
county.  The  result  of  these  crosses  was  highly  advanta- 
geous in  the  formation  of  a  hog  of  the  most  desirable  quali- 
ties. The  Berkshires  had  obtained,  with  many  breeders, 
great  favor,  while  others  objected  to  them,  because  they 
thought  them  too  short,  and  too  thick  in  the  shoulder. 
Nevertheless  the  Berkshire  blood  was  liberally  infused 
into  our  stock  of  hogs,  but  in  such  a  judicious  manner,  as 
to  obviate  the  objections  urged  against  them,  and  to  se- 
cure their  conceded  good  qualities. 

"  Since  the  formation  period  of  our  breed  of  hogs,  as 
above  stated,  there  have  been  no  material  or  decided  in- 
novation upon  the  breed  thus  obtained.  Our  breeders 
have  carefully  selected  and  judiciously  bred  from  the  best 
animals  thus  produced  among  us.  Where  defective  points 
have  been  apparent,  they  have  been  changed  by  careful 
breeding.  There  has  been,  for  many  years,  no  admixture 
of  any  other  breed  of  hogs.  Our  own  breed  is  now,  and 
has  been  for  nearly  thirty  years,  the  stock  predominant  in 
this  county.  Our  breeders  believe  that  they  have  a  well 
established  breed  of  hogs,  which  is  unsurpassed  in  the 
most  desirable  qualities  of  a  good  hog.  This  breed  of 
hogs,  although  of  recent  origin,  may  be  regarded  as  thor- 
oughly and  permanently  established.  They  have  been 
bred  so  long,  and  with  such  judgment  and  uniform  sue- 


BREEDS    OF   PIGS   IN   THE   UNITED   STATES. 


115 


cess,  that  they  may  be  confidently  relied  upon  as  possess- 
ing such  an  identity  and  fixity  of  character  as  a  distinct 
breed,  as  to  give  assurance  that  they  will  certainly  and 
unmistakably  propagate  and  extend  their  good  qualities. 

"  They  can  scarcely  be  said  to  have  a  well-established, 
distinctive  name.  They  are  extensively  known  as  the 
4  Magie  stock.'  They  are  sometimes  called  the  '  Gregory 
Creek  hogs,'  but  more  generally  they  are  known  as  the 
'  Butler  County  stock.'  It  will  be  doing  no  one  injustice 
to  say  that  D.  M.  Magie  has  bred  these  hogs  as  extensive- 
ly and  judiciously  as  any  other  man  in  the  county.  He 
has  not  only  bred  them  for  his  own  use,  but  also  to  sup- 
ply the  extensive  demand  that  has  been  made  upon  him 
from  all  parts  of  the  West  and  North-west. 

"  While  we  claim  that  Butler  County  has  more  good 
hogs  than  any  other  county  in  the  State,  we  do  not  desire 
to  do  our  neighbors  any  injustice  by  appropriating  all  the 
credit  for  this  breed  of  hogs  to  ourselves.  Warren  County 
assisted  in  the  formation  and  establishment  of  this  breed 
of  hogs.  They  continue  to  raise  them  in  their  purity  and 
full  perfection,  and  take  into  the  market  as  fine  lots  of 
hogs  as  have  ever  been  raised  and  sold. 

"In  verification  of  what  we  claim,  we  propose  to  show 
the  averages  of  hogs  sold  and  delivered  to  packers — not 
isolated  cases,  nor  single  specimen  hogs,  but  the  lots  of 
hogs  raised  by  our  farmers,  and  sold  in  the  market.  These 
hogs  are  usually  wintered  over  one  winter,  and  are  sold 
at  ages  ranging  from  eighteen  to  twenty-one  months. 
Mr.  David  M.  Magie  has  made  the  following  sales : 
One  lot  of  63  Hogs Average  weight 444  Ibs. 


40 
80 
60 
72 

103 
43 
35 

130 


,.417 
,.433 
.400 
.413 
..408 
..467 
,.451 
,.458 


116  HABKIS    OX   THE    PIG. 

Thomas  L.  Reeves  sold  39  head,  17)^  months  old,  averaging  459      Ibs. 
Jeremiah  Beaty          "      35    " 
L.  Miltenberger         "      35    " 
Abraham  Moore         "      40    " 
William  Gallager      "      71    " 

"  "         the  first  22  of  same, 


449 
4G6 
473 
528 


"These  are  individual  lots,  among  many  which  have 
been  noticed  as  remarkable  for  their  high  average.  Al- 
though they  have  never  been  equaled,  so  far  as  the  pub- 
lic know,  yet  some  may  regard  another  kind  of  evidence 
as  more  conclusive.  To  such  we  submit  the  following 
facts,  kindly  furnished  by  Mr.  Chenoweth,  who,  for  many 
years,  has  weighed  the  hogs  packed  by  Jones  &  Co.,  at 
Middletown,  in  this  county.  The  hogs  there  packed  are 
mainly  furnished  by  citizens  of  this  county,  and  Warren 
County. 

In  the  season  of  1862-3,  there  were  packed  4,956  hogs,  averaging  305  Ibs. 
1863-4,          "  "       5,538    "  "         276    " 

"  "        1864-5,          "  "       5,370    "  "         282    " 

"  "        1865-6,          "  "      6,003    "  "         345    " 

"  "        1866-7,          "  "      5,013    "  "         335    " 

In  1867-8,  a  dozen  of  the  best  lots  averaged  459  Ibs. 

"  These  figures,"  says  Mr.  Millikin,  "  must  decide  the 
superiority  of  our  breed  of  hogs  over  all  others.  To  pro- 
duce such  averages,  the  stock  must  be  of  the  best  quality, 
and  then  care  and  judgment  in  breeding  must  be  prac- 
ticed, and  good  attention  given  in  raising  and  fattening." 

It  is  evident  that  the  Butler  County  farmers  know  how 
to  raise  and  fatten  hogs.  But  it  does  not  follow,  from  the 
figures  given  above,  that  there  is  necessarily  any  special 
merit  in  the  Magie  breed.  We  know  farmers  who  take 
great  pride  in  having  heavy  hogs,  who  make  them  weigh 
from  450  to  500  Ibs.  at  18  or  20  months  old.  And  yet 
these  very  hogs  are  of  such  a  kind,  that  no  intelligent 
man,  who  is  acquainted  with  the  merits  of  the  improved 
breeds  and  their  grades,  would  tolerate  on  his  farm  for 
any  other  purpose  except  to  cross  with  some  highly  re- 
fined thorough-bred  boar.  We  are  not  acquainted  with 


BREEDS    OP   PIGS    IN   THE    UNITED    STATES.  117 

the  Magie  hogs,  and  would  not  be  understood  as  saying 
that  they  are  of  this  kind.  They  may  be  the  best  breed 
in  the  world,  but  the  fact  that  the  credit  of  the  breed  is 
awarded  to  the  county,  and  not  to  individuals,  does  not 
indicate  any  special  and  decided  characteristics.  Breeds 
do  not  originate  in  this  way.  It  is  not  to  the  farmers  of 
Leicestershire  that  we  owe  the  Leicester  sheep,  but  to 
Robert  Bakewell ;  it  is  not  to  the  farmers  of  Durham,  but 
to  the  Messrs.  Collins,  that  we  owe  the  Durham  or 
Shorthorn  cattle.  The  farmers  of  Sussex  are  entitled  to 
no  credit  for  the  Sussex  or  Southdown  sheep.  Ellman 
did  more  to  improve  these  sheep  than  all  the  other  Sussex 
farmers  had  accomplished  in  a  thousand  years.  We  owe 
the  Essex  hogs  to  Lord  Western  and  Fisher  Hobbs,  and 
not  to  the  farmers  of  the  county — and  so  it  always  is. 
The  old  Essex  pig  was  one  of  the  worst  in  England ; 
Fisher  Hobbs  made  it  one  of  the  very  best  in  the  world. 


118  HARRIS    ON  THE   PIG. 

CHAPTER    XII. 

EXPERIMENTS    IN    PIG    FEEDING. 

Boussingault  weighed  a  litter  of  five  pigs  at  the  mo- 
ment of  their  birth.  The  smallest  weighed  21 15  Ibs.,  and 
the  largest  31 13  Ibs.,  the  average  of  the  whole  litter  being 
23|4  Ibs.  each.  At  the  end  of  36  days  he  weighed  them 
again,  and  they  then  averaged  17.3  Ibs.,  showing  a  gain 
of  nearly  3  Ibs.  each  per  week.  During  the  next  five 
weeks  they  gained  31 12  Ibs.  each  per  week. 

The  quantity  of  food  consumed  was  not  ascertained. 

Dr.  M.  Miles,  Professor  of  Agriculture  in  the  Michigan 
Agricultural  College,  has  made  some  valuable  experiments 
in  feeding  young  pigs,  in  which  the  amount  of  food  con- 
sumed and  the  gain  each  week  were  accurately  ascertained. 

Six  grade  Essex  pigs,  two  weeks  old,  were  selected  for 
the  experiment.  They  weighed  25  Ibs.,  or  a  little  over  4t 
Ibs.  each.  At  the  end  of  the  first  week  they  weighed  461 1, 
Ibs.,  showing  a  gain  of  a  little  over  31  |a  Ibs.  each, — a  gain 
of  about  90  per  cent  in  one  week.  At  the  end  of  the 
second  week  they  weighed  84  Ibs.  They  were  then  di- 
vided into  two  separate  pens,  three  in  a  pen.  The  pigs 
in  pen  A  weighed  431 12  Ibs.,  and  those  in  pen  B  401 12  Ibs. 
At  the  end  of  the  third  week  the  three  pigs  in  pen  A 
weighed  521 12  Ibs. ;  those  in  pen  B,  54  Ibs.  At  the  end 
of  the  fourth  week  pen  A  weighed  GG1!,  Ibs.;  pen  B,  691]., 
Ibs.  At  the  end  of  the  fifth  week  pen  A  weighed  79  Ibs. ; 
pen  B,  851 12  Ibs.  Sixth  week,  pen  A,  891 14  Ibs ;  pen  B, 
931 14  Ibs. 

At  this  time  one  of  the  pigs  in  pen  B  met  with  an  ac- 
cident and  was  killed.  It  weighed,  alive,  30  Ibs.,  and 
dressed,  23  Ibs. 

To  the  end  of  the  eighth  week  the  pigs  were  allowed 
all  the  new  milk  they  would  drink,  and  what  corn  they 


EXPERIMENTS    IN    PIG    FEEDING.  119 

would  eat  in  addition.  After  the  eighth  week  the  milk  was 
discontinued,  and  they  were  allowed  all  the  corn-meal 
they  would  eat,  mixed  fresh  with  a  little  water. 

During  the  first  week  the  pigs  consumed  about  231 13 
Ibs.  each  of  milk,  and  gained  3'  |2  Ibs.  each. 

Second  week,  they  consumed  48  ibs.  each  of  milk,  and 
gained  a  little  over  6  Ibs.  each. 

Third  week,  consumed  47  Ibs.  milk,  and  gained  33 14  Ibs. 
each. 

Fourth  week,  consumed  52  Ibs.  milk,  and  gained  5  Ibs. 
each. 

The  amount  of  food  consumed  for  each  pound  of  live 
weight  of  the  pigs  was — 

1st  week.  2d  week.  3d  week.  4th  week. 

3.93  Ibs.  4.43  Ibs.  2.95  Ibs.  2.57  Ibs. 

The  gain  for  each  hundred  pounds  of  live  weight  was — 

1st  week.  2d  week.  3d  week.  4Jh  week. 

86.00  Ibs.  80.64  Ibs.  26.78  Ibs.  37.69  Ibs. 

The  amount  of  food  consumed  to  produce  one  pound 
of  increase  was — 

1st  week.  2d  week.  3d  week.  4t?i  week. 

6.53  Ibs.  7. 70  Ibs.  12.52  Ibs.  10.56  Ibs. 

These  experiments,  confirmed  as  they  are  by  others  giv- 
ing similar  results,  show  conclusively  that  a  young  animal 
eats  much  more,  in  proportion  to  live  weight,  than  an 
older  one.  Thus,  for  each  pound  of  live  weight,  the  pigs 
ate  nearly  4  Ibs.  of  milk  the  first  week,  and  only  21  |a  Ibs. 
the  fourth  week.  It  would  also  seem  that  the  younger  the 
animal,  the  more  rapidly  it  gains  in  proportion  to  the  food 
consumed.  Thus,  it  required  about  7  Ibs.  of  milk  the  first 
fortnight  to  produce  a  pound  of  increase,  and  ir|a  Ibs. 
the  second  fortnight,  or  about  65  per  cent  more. 

So  far,  therefore,  these  results  strikingly  confirm  the 
conclusion  we  should  arrive  at  from  theoretical  considera- 
tions, that  the  more  food  an  animal  can  eat,  digest,  and 


120 


HARRIS    ON   THE    PIG. 


assimilate  in  proportion  to  its  size,  the  more  it  will  gain 
in  proportion  to  the  food  consumed. 

During  the  second  month,  each  pig  ate,  in  pen  A,  37 
Ibs.  of  milk  per  week,  and  1  Ib.  each  of  oats  and  corn, 
and  gained  2.83  Ibs.  each  per  week.  This  also  shows  a 
great  falling  off  in  the  consumption  of  food  in  proportion 
to  live  weight,  and  a  still  greater  falling  off  in  the  rapidi- 
ty of  increase  in  proportion  to  the  food  consumed. 

During  the  eighth  week  it  required  nearly  double  the 
amount  of  food  to  produce  a  pound  of  increase  as  during 
the  fourth  week. 

After  the  eighth  week,  as  we  have  said,  the  pigs  were 
fed  exclusively  on  corn-meal.  The  following  table  shows 
the  amount  of  food  consumed  by  each  pig  per  week,  and 
the  increased  growth  obtained  from  it. 


Food  consumed  by  each  pig 
per  week. 

Increase   in    live 
weight  of  each 
pig  per  week. 

Food  required   to  pro- 
duce 1  Ib.  of  increase. 

Pen  A. 

PenB. 

Pen  A. 

Pen  B. 

Pen  A. 

PenB. 

3d  month. 
4th      " 
5th      " 
6th      " 

7th      " 

8.00  Ibs. 
13.75 
10.00 
10.66 
Meal.    (  14.16 
Roots.  \    5.00 

24.50  Ibs. 
18.25     " 
25.00    " 
25.87    " 
23.18    " 

1.70  Ibs. 
3.50    " 
4.25     " 
0.75     " 
2.04    " 

6.56  Ibs. 
4.50    " 
5.93    " 
4.62    " 
3.75     " 

4.68  Ibs. 
3.92 
3.82 
8.88 
J7.00 
J2.42 

3.81  Ibs. 
4.06    " 
4.22    " 
5.24    " 
5.98    " 

Average  of 
5  months. 

Meal....  14.23 
Roots...  1.00 

23.39  " 

2.67    " 

5.14  Ibs. 

Meal..  5.32 
Roots.  0.37 

4.55     " 

It  should  be  remembered  that  these  pigs  were  all  of 
one  litter,  and  that  in  both  pens  they  had  the  same  food, 
(except  that  during  the  seventh  month  of  the  experiment 
the  pigs  in  Pen  A  were  allowed  roots  in  addition  to  the 
corn  meal)  were  fed  at  the  same  time,  and  in  the  same 
conditions,  and  both  were  allowed  all  they  would  eat,  and 
yet  the  pigs  in  pen  B  ate  61  per  cent  more  food  than 
those  in  pen  A,  and  gained  over  92  per  cent  more. 

We  cannot  tell  why  one  pig  differs  from  another  pig  of 
the  same  litter.  But,  aside  from  this,  it  is  not  difficult  to 
understand  why  pigs,  that  eat  more  food,  should  gain 
more  in  proportion  to  the  food  consumed.  It  is  owing  to 


EXPERIMENTS    IN    PIG   FEEDING. 


121 


the  fact  that,  in  the  case  of  the  small  eaters,  nearly  all  the 
food  is  used  merely  to  support  the  vital  functions.  In  a 
previous  chapter  (page  21)  we  have  endeavored  to  ex- 
plain this  matter  in  detail. 

One  of  the  pigs  in  pen  A  gained  nearly  as  much  as 
those  in  pen  B ;  and  had  the  pigs  been  fed  separately,  the 
result  would  doubtless  have  been  even  more  strikingly  in 
favor  of  the  large  eaters. 

The  following  table  shows  the  weight  of  the  pigs  -when 
six  weeks  old  (the  fourth  week  of  the  experiment),  and 
for  each  month  afterwards. 


Pen  A. 


'I, 


21 


«  . 


f 

86 
88 

47 


42 

49i/2 
71 1/2 


58 

GO 
101 


%• 


I 


52 
64 

1201/2 


8* 


46 


Pen    BJ    „ 


5 


1231/2  48i/2 1  so  1100141131 
|23      44     I  64  |  79i/2|  964 


142il29 


At  ten  weeks  old,  the  pigs  were  not  allowed  any  more 
milk,  but  were  allowed  all  the  corn-meal  they  would  eat. 
From  this  time,  until  they  were  30  weeks  old,  a  period  of 
five  months,  pig  1  gained  27l\9  Ibs.,  pig  2,  353|4  Ibs.,  and 
pig  3,  971 14  Ibs.,  all  in  the  same  pen.  Taking  the  pens  to- 
gether, we  have  shown  that  the  pigs  in  pen  A  ate  about 
5'lj  Ibs.  of  food  to  produce  1  Ib.  of  increase,  while  the 
pigs  in  pen  B  required  only  41 12  Ibs.  to  produce  the  same 
result.  But  it  is  undoubtedly  true  that  these  figures  do 
not  show  the  whole  advantage  to  be  gained  by  having 
pigs  that  can  eat  and  assimilate  a  large  amount  of  food. 
Pig  3  probably  ate  much  more  than  his  proportion  of  the 
food,  and  gained  even  still  more  in  proportion  to  the  food 
consumed.  Thanks  to  Professor  Miles,  we  are  not  left 
wholly  to  conjecture  on  this  important  point.  Finding 
6 


122  HAKKIS    ON   THE  PIG. 

that  pigs  No.  1,  and  No.  2  had  no  tendency  to  lay  on  fat, 
and  that  they  were  increasing  only  in  bone  and  muscle, 
he  thought  it  desirable  to  ascertain  the  amount  of  food 
which  each  pig  consumed;  so,  at  the  beginning  of  the  21st 
week  of  the  experiment,  the  pigs  were  put  in  separate 
pens,  and  allowed,  as  before,  all  the  food  they  would  eat. 
During  the  first  week  afterwards, 

Pig  1  ate  11      Ibs.  meal. 
"    2    "    12^    "       " 
"    3    "    25)£    "       " 
During  the  month  the  pigs  ate  and  gained  as  follows : 

Pig  1  ate   48>£  Ibs.  meal,  and  lost  1  Ib. 
"   2  "      51K    "       "        "    gained  4  Ibs. 
"    3"    100       "       "        "    gained  19}£  Ibs. 

Pigs  1  and  2,  together,  ate  precisely  the  same  amount 
of  food  as  pig  3  alone.  But  in  the  one  case,  the  100  Ibs. 
of  corn  gave  19'|  9  Ibs.  of  increase,  and  in  the  other  only 
3  Ibs.  So  much  for  a  good  appetite. 


CHAPTER 

LAWES    AND   GILBERT'S    EXPERIMENTS    IN  PIG  FEEDING. 

The  most  extensive  experiments  on  fattening  pigs  are 
those  made  by  J.  B.  Lawes,  Esq.,  and  Dr.  J.  H.  Gilbert, 
at  Rothamstead,  near  St.  Albans,  in  England.  These 
gentlemen  have,  for  many  years,  devoted  themselves  to 
such  investigations ;  their  experiments  Avere  conducted 
with  the  greatest  care,  and  in  the  most  thorough  manner, 
and  the  results  are  worthy  of  entire  confidence.  Unfortu- 
nately, as  it  seems  to  us,  the  experiments  were  confined 
exclusively  to  pigs  shut  up  to  fatten ;  and  no  particular 
attention  was  given  to  the  breed,  or  the  previous  history 
of  the  pigs.  The  principal  object  of  the  experiments  was 
to  ascertain  the  best  kinds  of  food  for  fattening  pigs,  and 
the  best  proportion  of  nitrogenous  to  non-nitrogenous  food. 


ULWES'  AND  GILBERT'S  EXPERIMENTS. 


123 


"  In  the  selection  of  the  animals,"  say  Messrs.  Lawes 
&  Gilbert,  "  it  was  only  sought  to  get  such  as  resembled 
each  other  in  character,  age,  and  weight,  in  the  several 
pens ;  and,  with  this  view,  a  competent  person  was  em- 
ployed to  go  to  the  various  sties  and  markets  in  the 
neighborhood  to  purchase  animals  suited  to  our  object. 

"  Forty  pigs  were  purchased,  as  nearly  as  possible  of 
the  same  character,  and  all  supposed  to  be  about  nine  or 
ten  months  old.  The  pigs  were  weighed  and  marked,  and 
thirty-six  of  them  selected  out,  and  divided  into  twelve 
lots,  of  three  each,  in  such  a  manner  as  to  give  equal 
weights  in  each  lot,  but  it  was  found  that,  in  selecting 
them  by  weight  alone,  '  they  did  not  secure  animals  of 
sufficiently  equal  feeding  quality  in  the  several  pens.'  On 
the  following  day,  therefore,  they  were  changed  from  pen 
to  pen,  so  as  to  provide,  as  much  as  possible,  a  similarity 
in  this  respect  betwe"en  pen  and  pen,  and,  at  the  same 
time,  to  retain  a  near  equality  in  weight  also.  This  being 
done,  the  weights  stood  as  follows : 

TABLE  I.— SHOWING  THE  WEIGHTS  OP  THE  PIGS  WHEN  ALLOTTED 
TO  THE  PENS,  FEB.  3,  1856. 


J 

& 

§ 

| 

£ 

3 

| 

J 

£ 

3 

2 

OB 

Nos.  of  the  Pigs. 

J^ 
1 

I 

a 

£ 

ci 
1 

I 
I 

I 

1 

1 

1 

I 
t- 

1 

ci 

1 

1 

a 

£ 

Pen  10— 

Pen  11— 

a 

1  

146 

146 

140 

149 

140 

133 

133 

132 

130 

199 

131 

130 

2 

100 

115 

1°S 

133 

3  

112 

112 

113 

113 

115 

122 

121 

117 

119 

120 

120 

129 

Total  weight  of  3  Pigs. 

379 

380 

370 

378 

378 

378 

378 

382 

373 

377 

379 

374 

"The  allotment  thus  completed,  all  the  pigs  were  fed  on 
a  mixture  of  one  part  bean  meal,  one  part  lentil  meal, 
two  parts  Indian  corn-meal,  and  four  parts  bran — these 
being  the  foods  fixed  upon  for  the  subsequent  experiment. 
The  pigs  were  allowed  as  much  of  this  food  as  they 
would  eat."  "  Upon  this  mixture,"  say  the  experimenters, 
"  all  were  kept  for  twelve  days,  prior  to  commencing  the 


124 


HARRIS    ON   THE    PIG. 


exact  experiment,  in  order  that  they  might  become  accus- 
tomed to  their  new  situation,  and  reconciled  to  their  new 
companions,  for,  in  the  allotment,  the  various  purchases 
had  necessarily  "been  intermixed — in  some  cases,  greatly 
to  the  disapprobation  and  discomfort  of  the  individuals 
of  those  purchases.  For  a  time,  constant  quarrels  en- 
sued, and  the  molested  animals  frequently  jumped  from 
pen  to  pen,  until  they  fell  in  with  former  associates.  In- 
deed, at  first,  it  was  no  uncommon  occurrence,  after  they 
had  been  left  for  some  time,  to  find  some  pens  almost  de- 
serted, and  others  crowded.  The  use  of  the  whip  was 
found  to  be  very  efficacious  in  settling  these  disputes,  and 
at  length,  all  seeming  to  live  amicably  together,  the  exact 
experiment  was  commenced  on  Feb.  14,  twelve  days  after 
the  first  allotment." 

This  account  will  prove  interesting,  and  furnish  valua- 
ble hints  to  such  of  our  agricultural  colleges  as  may 
contemplate  making  experiments  on  animals.  It  shows, 
furthermore,  taken  in  connection  with  the  weight  of  the 
pigs,  that  little  attention  had  been  paid  to  their  breeding 
or  management.  They  were,  evidently,  common  store 
hogs,  active,  and  quarrelsome,  and  the  fact  that,  at  from 
nine  to  ten  months  old,  they  only  weighed  112  to  146  Ibs., 
indicates  that  the  farmers  of  England  do  not  treat  their 
pigs  much  better  than  the  farmers  of  America. 

During  this  preliminary  period  of  twelve  days,  the  pigs 
gained  as  follows : 

TABLE  II.— SHOWING  THE  GAIN  OF  EACH  PIG  DURING  THE  TWELVE 
DAYS  OF  THE  PRELIMINARY  PERIOD. 


Nos.  of  the  Pigs. 

j§ 

S 

i 

5 

£ 

* 

J 

J 

i 

S  5 

1 

2 

1 

4 

i 

•I 
1 

Jl 

1 

2 

1 

cl 

a 

i 

2 

1 

iU 

II 

1... 

SOlll 
14  '20 
17,11 

21 
16 
15 

31 

8 
10 

28 
5 
20 

24 
•21 
22 

15 

»9 

13  '26 
11118 
2611 

20  e! 

1022 
916 

2 

3 

Total  gain  in  each  Pen  J6li42  52 

49 

:>.'} 

67137 

5055 

39144 

LAWES'    AND    GILBERT'S    EXPERIMENTS. 


125 


During  this  period,  of  twelve  days,  tlie  pigs  were  all 
fed  on  the  same  food,  and  were  allowed  all  they  chose 
to  eat,  and  yet  it  will  be  seen  that  the  gain  is  far  from 
uniform.  "  Those  pigs,"  say  the  experimenters,  "  having 
flourished  most,  which  had  fallen  in  for  the  lion's  share, 
whilst  the  weaker  ones,  which  had  been  obliged  to  sulk 
in  the  rear  until  their  more  powerful  companions  had  in- 
dulged to  the  full,  clearly  indicated  their  misfortunes  by 
their  weights.  After  that  time,  however,  very  little  ir- 
regularity occurred  from  this  cause — vigilant  care  being 
taken  that  each  animal  should  have  his  full  share  of  food — 
and  it  soon  happened  that  the  mere  approach  of  the 
whip,  was  sufficient  to  awe  the  pugnacious  delinquent 
into  humble  retreat,  while  his  weaker  neighbor,  in  his 
turn,  took  precedence  at  the  trough.  These  ill-tempers, 
though  at  first  very  troublesome,  gave  way  surprisingly 
by  a  little  perseverance,  and  the  evil  of  them,  in  the 
course  of  comparative  experiments  is,  after  all,  much  less 
than  in  submitting  to  a  faulty  allotment." 

The  experiment  proper,  commenced  Feb.  14,  and  con- 
tinued eight  weeks.  The  following  table  shows  the  weight 
of  each  pig  at  the  commencement  of  the  experiment : 


TABLE  III.— SHOWING  THE  WEIGHT  OF  EACH  PIG  AT  THE  COM- 
MENCEMENT  OP  THE  EXPERIMENT,  FEB.  14. 


i 

g 

g 

» 

g 

OB 

OB 

OJ 

| 

i 

i 

JJ 

Nos.  of  the  Pigs. 

± 

i 

1 

=1 
1 

1 

1 

I 

iO 

d 

£ 

J, 

1 

J- 

1 

1 

1 

cl 

Pen  10—1 

I 

Pen  12—1 

1 

176 

157 

168 

178 

168 

157 

148 

145 

15fi 

149 

137 

149 

2                      

135 

14° 

181 

181 

1<>8 

144 

1% 

144 

14<> 

138 

150 

130 

3 

1**) 

1<>? 

T>8 

1°8 

185 

144 

141 

148 

180 

•joq 

186 

150 

Total  weight  of  3  Pigs. 

440 

422 

422 

427 

431 

445 

415 

432 

428 

416 

423 

429 

The  following  table  shows  the  weight  of  the  pigs  at  the 
end  of  the  experiment,  after  being  fed  eight  weeks : 


12G 


HARRIS    ON   THE   PIG. 


TABLE  TV.— SHOWING  THE  WEIGHT  OP  EACH  PIG  AT  THE  END  OF 
THE  EXPERIMENT. 


.0 

n 

,Q 

B 

.0 

,0 

s 

.8 

,8 

| 

i 

i 

J 

t 

Nos.  of  the  Pigs. 

J 

I 

=1 

1 

2 

1 

4 

d 

£ 

I 

1 

i 

ft 
I 

z 

cl 

1 

J> 

1 

Pen  10— 

Pen  11— 

Pen  12- 

1 

279 

293 

239 

298 

264 

263 

249 

287 

205 

176 

197 

263 

2..  

9<X) 

0^7 

183 

198 

182 

230 

191 

243 

148 

182 

198 

175 

3 

235 

228 

200 

183 

206 

250 

284 

249 

175 

172 

206 

245 

Total  weight  of  3  Pigs. 

743 

758 

622 

679 

652 

743 

724 

779 

528 

530 

601 

683 

The  food  selected  for  the  experiment  was  a  mixture — 
1st,  bean  and  lentil  meal ;  2d,  Indian  corn-meal,  and  3d, 
bran. 

As  beans  and  lentils  are,  at  present,  little  used  as  food 
for  pigs  in  the  United  States,  we  shall  not  be  far  wrong 
in  considering  them  as  equivalent  to  peas.  The  object  of 
the  experiment  was  not  merely  to  ascertain  which  of  these 
foods  was  most  nutritious,  but  what  is  the  best  proportion 
of  feeding  them.  Accordingly,  each  of  the  pens  had  an 
unlimited  allowance  of  some  one  of  these  three  classes  of 
foods,  some  of  them  having  no  other  food,  except  in  the 
case  of  bran,  while  others  were  allowed  a  restricted 
quantity.  Thus : 

Pen  1 — was  allowed  a  mixture  of  equal  parts  of  bean 
and  lentil  meal  ad  libitum. 

Pen  2 — 2  Ibs.  per  pig,  per  day,  of  Indian  corn-meal,  and 
bean  and  lentil  mixture  ad  libitum,. 

Pen  3 — 2  Ibs.  of  bran  per  pig,  per  day,  and  bean  and 
lentil  mixture  ad  libitum. 

Pen  4 — 2  Ibs.  of  Indian  meal,  2  Ibs.  of  bran  per  pig,  per 
day,  and  bean  and  lentil  mixture  ad  libitum. 

Pen  5 — Indian  corn-meal  ad  libitum. 

Pen  6 — 2  Ibs.  of  bean  and  lentil  mixture,  and  Indian 
meal  ad  libitum. 

Pen  7 — 2  Ibs.  bran,  and  Indian  meal  ad  libitum. 

Pen  8 — 2  Ibs.  of  bean  and  lentil  mixture,  2  Ibs.  bran, 
and  Indian  meal  ad  libitum. 


LA  WES'  AND  GILBERT'S  EXPERIMENTS. 


127 


Pen  0 — 2  Ibs.  of  bean  and  lentil  mixture  per  pig,  per 
day,  and  bran  ad  libitum. 

Pen  10 — 2  Ibs.  of  Indian  meal  per  pig,  per  day,  and 
bran  ad  libitum. 

Pen  11 — 2  Ibs.  of  bean  and  lentil,  2  Ibs.  of  Indian  meal 
per  pig,  per  day,  and  bran  ad  libitum. 

Pen  12 — Bean  and  lentil  mixture,  Indian  corn-meal,  and 
bran,  each  separately,  and  ad  libitum. 

The  results  ought  to  afford  answers  to  the  following 
questions : 

Are  peas  (bean  and  lentil)  as  good,  or  better,  than  In- 
dian corn,  for  fattening  pigs  ? 

Is  it  better  to  feed  them  alone,  or  mixed  together,  and 
in  what  proportions  ? 

What  is  the  value  of  bran  as  a  food  for  fattening  pigs, 
in  conjunction  with  peas  or  Indian  corn,  or  both  ? 

When  pigs  are  allowed  all  they  will  eat  of  peas,  Indian 
corn,  and  bran,  how  much  of  each  will  they  eat,  and  in 
what  proportions  ? 

The  following  table  shows  the  gain  of  each  pig  during 
the  experimental  period  of  eight  weeks : 

TABLE  V.— SHOWING  THE  GAIN  OF  EACH  PIG  DURING  THE  EXPERI- 
MENTAL PERIOD  OF  EIGHT  WEEKS. 


5 

JS 

5 

| 

J 

1 

J 

00 

1C 

« 

J 

« 

ri 

I 

I 

I 

I 

<i 

I 
t- 

I 

I 

d 

J, 

i 

Nos.  of  the  Pigs. 

a 
£ 

a 

1 

1 

1 

fl 
£ 

(3 
£ 

« 

1 

£ 

1 

ft 

£ 

1... 

103 

136 

76 

125 

96 

106 

101 

14-? 

49 

97 

60 

114 

2  

94 

95 

591 

67 

54 

86 

65 

99 

6 

44 

48 

45 

3 

106 

105 

7? 

60 

71 

106 

143 

106 

70 

95 

Total  gain  of  3  Pigs  

303 

ase 

200 

252 

221 

298 

309 

347 

100 

114 

178 

254 

The  pigs  making  the  greatest  gain  are  those  in  pen  8, 
which  had  2  ft>s.  of  peas  (beans  and  lentils),  and  2  Ibs.  of 
bran  each,  per  day,  and  all  the  Indian  corn-meal  they 
would  eat  in  addition.  These  pigs  gained  14:|2  Ibs.  each, 
per  week,  or  over  2  Ibs.  per  day.  The  next  best  gain  is 


128 


HARRIS    ON   THE   PIG. 


in  pen  2,  with  2  Ibs.  of  Indian  meal  each,  per  day,  and 
all  the  pea  meal  they  would  eat.  They  gained  exactly 
2  Ibs.  per  day. 

With  Indian  meal  alone,  the  pigs  gained  not  quite  O1^ 
Ibs.  each,  per  week.  With  Indian  meal,  and  a  small  al- 
lowance (2  Ibs.  each,  per  day,)  of  peas,  the  gain  is  not 
quite  IS1^  Ibs.  per  week;  while  with  Indian  meal,  and  2 
Ibs.  each,  per  day,  of  bran,  the  gain  is  over  123|  4  Ibs.  per 
week.  The  most  curious  result,  however,  is  in  pen  12, 
where  the  pigs  had  all  they  would  eat  of  each  of  the  three 
kinds  of  food.  The  gain  is  but  a  fraction  over  101 12  Ibs. 
each,  per  week. 

The  following  table  shows  the  amount  of  food  consumed 
by  each  pig,  per  week,  and  the  average  increase  in  live 
weight,  per  head,  per  week,  during  the  experimental 
period  of  eight  weeks : 

TABLE  VI.-SHOWING    THE   AVERAGE  WEEKLY  CONSUMPTION    OF 

FOOD,  AND  THE  INCREASE,  PER  HEAD,  DURING  THE 

TOTAL  PERIOD  OF  THE  EXPERIMENT. 


1 

DESCRIPTION   AND  AVERAGE    QUANTITIES  OF    POOD  CONSUMED    PER 
PIG,   PER  WEEK,   IN  LBS. 

y 

Limited  food. 

Ad  libitum  food. 

§  1  Total  food  consumed 
\  per  iveek,  per  pig.  Ibs. 

1.... 

2.... 
3.... 

4.... 

None. 
14  Ibs.  Indian  meal. 
14  Ibs.  bran. 
14  Ibs.  Indian  meal,  &  14  Ibs.  bran. 

63  Ibs.  bean  and  lentil  meal, 

12.62 
14.00 
8.33 
10.50 

52     "       "       "      "          " 

30 

40J£  "       "       "      "         " 

wit 

81*4"       "       "      " 

5.... 
6.... 

7... 

8.... 

None. 
14  Ibs.  bean  and  lentil  meal. 
14  Ibs.  bran. 
14  Ibs.  bean  and  lentil  meal,  and  ) 
14  Ibs.  bran.                             f 

45%  Ibs.  Indian  meal. 

4514 

64% 

9.21 
12.42 

12.87 

14.46 

9... 
10.... 

11.... 
12.... 

t9^  Ibs.  bean  and  lentil  meal. 
19^  Ibs.  Indian  meal. 
14  Ibs.  bean  and  lentil  meal,  and  ) 
14  Ibs.  Indian  meal.               } 

None. 

18     Ibs.  bran. 

18        "       " 

28*4  Ibs.  bean  &len  til  meal.  ) 
25*4  ft>s.  Indian  meal.         V 
3  Ibs.  bran.                           } 

46 
57 

4.16 

4.75 

7.42 
10.58 

L AWES'  AND  GILBERT'S  EXPERIMENTS.  129 

It  is  very  evident  that  bran,  fed  in  a  large  quantity,  or 
with  a  small  proportion  of  other  food,  is  a  very  indiffer- 
ent food  for  pigs.  It  is  too  bulky,  in  proportion  to  the 
nutriment  it  contains.  The  pigs  were  weighed  every  two 
weeks,  and  it  was  so  obvious  after  the  first  weighing,  that 
the  pigs  in  pens  9  and  10  were  not  getting  food  enough 
(though  having  all  the  bran  they  would  eat),  that  the 
limited  food  was  increased  to  3  Ibs.  per  pig,  per  day,  in- 
stead of  2  Ibs.  But,  even  with  this  addition,  it  is  clear 
that  the  pigs  did  not  get  sufficient  nutriment.  Their 
stomachs  were  not  capable  of  holding  enough  of  this 
bulky,  and  probably  rather  indigestible,  food. 

The  pigs  in  pens  9  and  11,  ate  precisely  the  same  amount 
of  bran  per  week,  but  the  pigs  in  pen  11  were  allowed  83 14 
Ibs.  of  meal  more  than  pen  9 ;  and  it  will  be  seen  that  this 
83|4  Ibs.  of  extra  meal  produced  over  3*|4  Ibs.  of  extra 
increase. 

Comparing  pen  1  with  pen  5,  it  will  be  seen  that  the 
pigs  having  pea  meal  alone,  gain  over  3  Ibs.  a  week  more 
than  those  having  Indian  meal  alone ;  but  the  pigs  in  pen 
1  ate  more  pea  meal  than  the  pigs  in  pen  5  did  of  Indian 
meal,  and  the  actual  increase  from  the  food  consumed  is, 
if  anything,  rather  in  favor  of  the  Indian  meal.  It  will 
be  found  that  100  Ibs.  of  pea  meal  produce  20  Ibs.  of  in- 
crease, while  100  Ibs.  of  Indian  meal  produced  20.3  Ibs. 
increase.  It  would  seem  from  this  that  100  Ibs.  of  peas 
will  not  produce  any  more  pork  than  100  Ibs  of  corn.  At 
the  same  time,  it  would  seem  that  pigs  will  grow  or  fatten 
faster  on  peas  than  on  corn.  They  are  capable  of  eating 
more  peas  than  corn. 

By  comparing  pens  2  and  6,  we  have  the  same  general 
indications.  In  pen  2,  the  pigs  had  pea  meal  ad  libitum, 
and  2  Ibs.  of  corn  meal  each,  per  day;  while  in  pen  6, 
they  had  Indian  meal  ad  libitum,  and  2  Ibs.  of  pea  meal 
each,  per  day.  Pen  2  ate  the  most  food,  and  gained  the 
most  rapidly.  But  still  the  amount  of  food  required  to 
6* 


130  HARRIS    ON  THE   PIG.     • 

produce  a  given  increase  is  almost  identical.  In  pen  2, 
100  Ibs.  of  meal  produced  21.2  Ibs.  of  increase ;  in  pen  6, 
21.3  Ibs. 

The  more  we  study  these  results,  the  more  are  we  im- 
pressed with  the  importance  of  the  study  of  physiology 
and  breeding,  in  connection  with  the  chemistry  of  food. 
Thus,  in  the  same  pen,  on  the  same  food,  one  pig  gains 
45  Ibs.,  and  another  114.  In  another  pen,  one  gains  65, 
and  another,  on  the  same  food,  143  Ibs.  And  so  it  is  in 
all  our  experiments  on  animals.  There  is  a  cause  for  this, 
and  we  cannot  but  hope  that  the  subject  will  receive  more 
attention  from  scientific  investigators  than  they  have 
hitherto  bestowed  upon  it. 

We  should  remark  that,  in  pen  5,  with  Indian  meal 
alone,  one  of  the  Pigs,  No.  1,  during  the  first  fortnight, 
gained  over  2  Ibs.  per  day,  while  the  other  two  only 
gained  about  half  as  much.  Before  the  end  of  the  first 
fortnight,  however,  "  it  was  observed  that  this  fast  gain- 
ing pig,  and  one  of  the  others,  namely,  No.  3,  had  largo 
swellings  on  the  side  of  their  necks,  and  that,  at  the  same 
time,  their  breathing  had  become  labored. 

"It  was  obvious,"  say  Messrs.  Lawes  and  Gilbert,  "  that 
the  Indian  corn-meal  alone  was,  in  some  way,  a  defective 
diet ;  and  it  occurred  to  us  that  it  was  comparatively  poor, 
both  in  nitrogen,  and  in  mineral  matter,  though  we  were 
inclined  to  suspect  that  it  was  a  deficiency  of  the  latter, 
rather  than  of  the  former,  that  was  the  cause  of  the  ill 
effects  produced.  We  were,  at  any  rate,  unwilling,  so 
far  to  disturb  the  plan  of  the  experiments,  as  to  increase 
the  supply  of  nitrogenous  constituents  in  the  food,  and 
accordingly  determined  to  continue  the  food  as  before, 
but  at  least  to  try  the  effect  of  putting  within  reach  of 
the  pigs  a  trough  of  some  mineral  substances,  of  which 
they  could  take  if  they  were  disposed.  The  mixture 
which  was  prepared  was  as  follows : 


131 

20  Ibs.  finely  sifted  coal  ashes, 
4  Ibs,  common  salt, 
1  Ib.  superphosphate  of  lime. 

"  A  trough  containing  this  mineral  mixture  was  put 
into  the  pen  at  the  commencement  of  the  second  fort- 
night, and  the  pigs  soon  began  to  lick  it  with  evident 
relish.  From  this  time  the  swellings,  or  tumors,  as  well 
as  the  difficulty  in  breathing,  which  probably  arose  from 
pressure  of  the  former,  began  to  diminish  rapidly.  In- 
deed, at  the  end  of  this  second  fortnight,  the  swellings 
were  very  much  reduceid,  and  at  the  end  of  the  third  fort- 
night, they  had  disappeared  entirely. 

The  three  pigs  consumed  of  the  mineral  mixture,  de- 
scribed above,  9  Ibs.  during  the  first  fortnight,  6  Ibs.  during 
the  second,  and  9  Ibs.  during  the  third. 

It  may  be  also  well  to  state  that  '  a  butcher,  with  a 
practised  eye,  selected  and  purchased  the  carcass  of  one 
of  these  [Indian  corn  fed]  pigs,  which  had  been  diseased, 
from  among  the  whole  thirty-six,  after  they  had  been 
killed  and  hung  up.'  " 

Messrs.  Lawes  and  Gilbert  also  made  a  second  series  of 
experiments  on  36  pigs,  divided  as  before,  into  12  pens. 
The  foods  used  were  the  same  as  in  the  first  series,  except 
that  barley-meal  was  substituted  for  Indian  corn,  and  the 
pigs  were  allowed  3  Ibs.  each,  per  day,  instead  of  2  Ibs. 

The  pigs  were  about  nine  months  old,  and  ranged  from 
105  Ibs.  to  138  Ibs.  each.  They  were  shut  up  in  the  pens 
April  26,  and  allowed  all  they  would  eat  of  a  mixture  of 
equal  parts  of  bean  and  lentil  meal,  barley-meal,  and 
bran.  They  were  kept  on  this  food  until  May  9,  when 
they  were  again  weighed,  and  the  exact  experiment  com- 
menced. All  the  pigs  seem  to  have  done  remarkably 
well  on  this  food,  many  of  them  gaining  over  2  Ibs.  a  day. 

During  the  subsequent  experimental  period,  however, 
no  less  than  five  of  the  pigs  died,  and  for  this  reason  we 
will  not  enter  into  a  detailed  account  of  the  experiment. 


132  HARRIS    ON   THE    PIG 

The  five  pigs  that  died  were  in  five  different  pens,  feeding 
on  different  food.  But  it  appears  that  they  all  belonged 
to  one  of  the  purchased  lots  of  eight,  and  possibly  to  one 
litter,  and,  as  Messrs.  Lawes  and  Gilbert  remark,  "the 
loss  was  probably  due  to  the  bad  constitution  of  the  ani- 
mals." The  weather,  however,  was  very  hot,  and  unfa- 
vorable to  the  health  of  pigs  kept  closely  confined  and 
fed  on  rich  food. 

The  gain  of  some  of  the  pigs  in  this  series  was  quite 
remarkable.  Thus,  in  pen  2,  which  was  allowed  3  Ibs.  of 
barley-meal  per  pig,  per  day,  and  bean  and  lentil  meal 
ad  libitum,  one  of  the  pigs  gained  120  Ibs.  in  eight 
weeks,  or  15  Ibs.  a  week.  Lj  the  same  pen,  the  other  two 
pigs  gained,  one  65  Ibs.,  and  the  other  99  Ibs.,  during  the 
same  period,  and  on  the  same  food.  In  pen  5,  with  bar- 
ley-meal alone,  ad  libitum^  one  of  the  pigs  gained  142 
Ibs.  in  the  eight  weeks,  or  173 1 4  Ibs.  a  week.  One  of  the 
other  pigs  in  this  pen  gained  87  Ibs.,  and  the  other  pig 
died. 

It  is  very  evident  from  these  experiments  that  the  suc- 
cess of  a  pig-feeder  will  depend  much  more  on  good  judg- 
ment in  selecting,  or  on  care  in  breeding,  the  pigs  he  in- 
tends to  fatten,  than  on  the  particular  kind  of  grain  given 
to  them. 

The  best  result  of  any  pen  in  this  series  was  where  the 
pigs  were  allowed  a  mixture  of  1  part  bran,  2  parts  bean 
and  lentil  meal  (say  pea-meal),  and  3  parts  barley-meal. 
The  three  pigs  on  this  food  gained  310  Ibs.  in  eight  weeks, 
or  within  two  pounds  of  13  Ibs.  each  per  week.  Another 
pen,  having  precisely  the  same  food,  gave  almost  exactly 
the  same  gain,  or  307  Ibs.  in  eight  weeks.  An  adjoining 
pen,  having  the  same  food,  but  a  greater  proportion  of 
bean  and  lentil  meal,  and  less  barley-meal,  gained  283  Ibs. 
in  the  eight  weeks,  or  about  11s  |4  Ibs.  each  per  week.  One 
hundred  pounds  of  the  former  mixture  gave  20  Ibs.  of  in- 
crease j  of  the  latter,  181 14  Ibs. 


LAWES'    AND    GILBERT'S    EXPERIMENTS. 


133 


Messrs.  Lawes  and  Gilbert  also  made  a  third  series  of 
experiments,  the  pigs  being  fed  on  dried  codfish,  in  con- 
junction with  bran,  Indian  meal,  bean  and  lentil  meal,  and 
barley-meal,  in  different  proportions.  The  codfish  was 
boiled  in  water,  and  the  meal  mixed  with  it  before  being 
fed  to  the  pigs. 

The  following  table  shows  the  composition  of  this  dried 
codfish,  together  with  the  composition  of  the  other  foods 
used  in  this  and  the  preceding  experiments  : 

TABLE  SHOWING  THE  COMPOSITION  OP  THE  DIFFERENT  KINDS  OF 

FOOD  USED  IN  MESSRS.  LAWES'  AND  GILBERT'S 

EXPERIMENTS  ON  PIGS. 

PER  CENTAGE  RESULTS. 


Description  of  Food. 

Dry 
Matter. 

Ash. 

Nitrogen. 

Fatty 
Matter. 

4^   «O 

1  Organic 
Matter  only. 

II 

llj 

^ 

In  Fresh 
Substance. 

s 

In  Fresh 
Substance. 

a 

Egyptian  Beans      

88.3083.57 
S7.30i82.43 
86.62J81.64 
89.7088.33 
89.8988.62 
84.  79178.77 
82.38I80.19 
80.95i7S.77 
82.5380.48 
59.26^40.60 

4.73 

4.87 
4.98 
1.37 
1.28 
6.02 
2.19 
2.18 
2.05 
18.66 

5!584!52 
5.754.56 
1.5311.72 
1.4211.95 

7.10i2.61 
2.66:1.82 
2.6911.83 
2.481.55 
31.49:6.60 

4.80 
5.18 
5.26 
1.92 
2.17 
3.08 
2.21 
2.26 
1.88 
11.13 

2.292.60 
2.232.55 
2.21:2.55 
5.105.68 
5.596.22 
4.925.80 
2.342.84 
2.33:2.88 
1.41|1.71 
0.90:1.52 

Lentils—  Lot  1                             

"         Lot  2 

Indian  Meal  —  Lot  1                

"         "       Lot  2 

Bran                                          • 

Barley—  Lot  1  
"         Lot  2                        

"         Lot  3 

Dried  New  Foundland  Codfish  

In  pen  1  the  pigs  were  given,  and  compelled  to  eat,  14 
Ibs.  each  of  codfish,  per  week,  mixed  with  equal  parts 
bran  and  Indian  meal.  Of  this  mixture  they  had  all  they 
could  eat,  and  consumed  47  Ibs.  each,  per  week,  and 
gained  10.09  Ibs.  each. 

In  pen  2,  each  pig  had,  as  above,  14  Ibs.  codfish,  and 
ate  with  it  451 14  Ibs.  Indian  meal  alone,  per  week,  and 
gained  12.15  Ibs. 

In  pen  3  the  pigs  had  a  mixture  of  equal  parts  Indian 
meal  and  bran,  and  as  much  codfish  as  they  chose  to  eat. 
They  ate  47  Ibs.  of  the  mixture  of  bran  and  meal,  and 


134  HARRIS    ON   THE   PIG. 

only  T\t  Ibs.  of  codfish  each,  per  week,  and  gained 
8.94  Ibs. 

It  will  be  seen  that,  when  left  to  their  own  choice,  the 
pigs  in  pen  3  ate  only  about  half  as  much  codfish  as  those 
in  pens  1  and  2,  where  their  other  food  was  kept  back 
until  they  had  eaten  their  allowance  of  2  Ibs.  of  codfish 
per  day. 

The  above  pigs  were  about  nine  or  ten  months  old,  and 
were  similar  in  character,  weight,  etc.,  to  the  pigs  in  the 
first  two  Series  of  experiments. 

In  another  series  of  experiments  with  eight  pigs,  seven 
months  old,  and  "  more  finely  framed  "  than  the  preced- 
ing pigs,  1  Ib.  of  codfish  was  given  to  each  pig,  per  day, 
with,  in  one  pen,  barley-meal  alone,  and  in  the  other,  with 
a  mixture  of  2  parts  barley-meal,  and  1  part  bran. 

In  pen  4,  the  pigs  ate  7  Ibs.  of  codfish,  and  49  Ibs.  of 
bran  and  barley  meal  each,  per  week,  and  gained  9.40  Ibs. 

In  pen  5,  the  pigs  ate  7  Ibs.  of  codfish,  and  571 12  Ibs. 
of  barley-meal  each,  per  week,  and  gained  11.75  Ibs. 

These  facts  will  prove  interesting  and  useful  to  farmers 
living  near  the  sea-shore,  in  localities  where  fish  are  used 
for  expressing  oil,  and  where  the  refuse  is  sold  for  manure, 
or  for  food  for  pigs.  An  analysis  of  this  refuse,  taken  in 
connection  with  the  above  experiments,  should  indicate 
its  value  as  food  for  pigs,  and  it  is  an  easy  matter  to  cal- 
culate the  value  of  the  manure  made  by  the  pigs. 


SUGAR   AS   FOOD   FOB  PIGS.  135 

CHAPTER    XIV. 

SUGAR    AS    FOOD    FOR   PIGS. 

Messrs.  Lawes  &  Gilbert  also  made  some  experiments 
on  pigs  to  ascertain  the  nutritive  value  of  sugar  as  com- 
pared with  starch. 

Twelve  pigs  weighing  from  72  Ibs.  to  98  Ibs.  each  were 
placed  in  four  pens,  3  pigs  in  a  pen.  Lentils  and  bran 
were  selected  as  the  nitrogenous  food,  and  in  pens  1,2  and 
3  the  pigs  were  allowed  3  Ibs.  of  lentil  meal,  and  1  Ib.  of 
bran  each  per  day,  and  in  addition,  the  pigs  in  pen  one 
were  allowed  all  the  sugar  they  would  eat,  and  those  in 
pen  2,  all  the  starch  they  would  eat,  and  in  pen  3  a  mixture 
of  equal  parts  starch  and  sugar.  The  pigs  in  pen  4  were 
furnished,  in  separate  troughs,  all  the  lentil  meal,  bran, 
starch  and  sugar  they  would  eat.  The  experiment  was  con- 
tinued 10  weeks.  In  pen  1,  the  pigs  ate  nearly  2  Ibs.  of 
sugar  each  per  day,  and  in  pen  2,  a  nearly  identical  quan- 
tity of  starch  ;  the  other  food  being  the  same  in  kind  and 
quality  in  both  pens.  The  increase  obtained  from  100  Ibs. 
of  food  was  in  pen  1,  20.8  Ibs.,  and  in  pen  2,  19.9  Ibs. 

The  pigs  in  pen  3,  having  a  mixture  of  equal  parts 
starch  and  sugar,  and  the  same  quantity  of  lentil  meal  and 
bran  as  in  pens  I  and  2,  ate  2f  Ibs.  each  per  day  of  the 
starch  and  sugar.  The  increase  from  100  Ibs.  of  total  food 
was  19.8  Ibs. 

In  pen  4,  where  the  pigs  were  allowed  all  they  chose 
to  eat  of  the  different  foods,  each  pig  ate  per  day  on  the 
average,  lentil  meal  4  Ibs.  6  oz.,  bran  3£  oz.,  starch  3f  oz. 
and  sugar  2  Ibs.  2  oz.  They  ate  more  food  and  gained 
more  rapidly  than  in  any  other  pen.  The  increase  from 
100  Ibs.  of  food  was  21.3  Ibs. 


130  HARRIS    ON   THE    PIG. 

Without  going  into  further  details,  it  is  evident  that  the 
pigs  show  a  great  preference  for  sugar  as  compared  with 
starch,  but  it  does  not  appear  that  sugar  produces  any 
materially  greater  increase  than  starch.  Certainly  there 
is  no  benefit  approximating  in  the  slightest  degree  to  the 
increased  cost  of  sugar ;  and  it  is  very  doubtful  whether 
we  should  gain  any  marked  advantage  by  converting  our 
barley  into  malt  or  of  growing  sugar  beets  instead  of 
ordinary  beets  or  mangel  wurzel. 

We  should  add  that  a  mixture  of  20  Ibs.  of  coal  and 
wood-ashes,  2^  Ibs.  of  superphosphate  of  lime  and  2%  Ibs. 
of  common  salt  was  placed  in  troughs  in  the  pens.  This 
quantity  being  distributed  to  the  12  pigs  during  each  period 
of  two  weeks. 

Messrs.  Lawes  &  Gilbert  say :  This  mineral  mixture 
was  always  taken  with  the  greatest  avidity  and  relish ;  so 
much  so,  that  the  animals  would  leave  their  other  troughs 
the  moment  the  fresh  supply  of  this  was  put  within  their 
reach.  They  were,  moreover,  upon  the  whole,  very  healthy 
throughout  the  experiment,  and  yielded  good  rates  of 
increase. 

In  Messrs.  Lawes'  &  Gilbert's  account  of  these  experi- 
ments, the  actual  gain  of  each  pig  is  not  given.  But  since 
writing  the  above,  we  have  found  the  weights  of  the  pigs 
at  the  commencement  and  at  the  end  of  the  experiment, 
from  which  it  appears  that 

the  pigs  in  pen  1  gained  8.2  Ibs.  each  per  week. 
"      "          "    2      "       8.2  Ibs.     "      «        " 
"      "          "     3      «       9.1  Ibs.    "       "        " 
«      "          "    4      "      10.4  Ibs.    "       "        " 

To  a  practical  farmer  these  actual  figures  are  more  in- 
teresting than  mere  percentage  results.  From  this  it 
would  appear  that,  leaving  the  question  of  cost  and  profit 
out  of  the  question,  there  may  be  cases  where,  with  an 
unlimited  supply  of  other  food,  a  little  sugar  may  be  given 
to  a  pig  with  advantage.  A  pig  with  a  delicate  appetite 


THE  VALUE    OF   PIG   MAXUKE.  137 

might  be  given  ordinary  food,  and  then  when  he  had  eaten 
all  he  would  of  it,  by  mixing  a  little  sugar  with  the  food, 
he  might  be  induced  to  eat  more. 


CHAPTER    XV. 

THE    VALUE    OF    PIG    MANURE. 

There  is  much  misconception  in  regard  to  the  relative 
value  of  manure  from  different  animals.  It  is  often  said 
that  the  manure  of  pigs  is  richer  than  that  from  cattle, 
horses,  or  sheep.  This  is  sometimes  the  case,  and  some- 
times not.  It  depends  entirely  on  the  food.  An  animal 
does  not  "  make  manure  "  any  more  than  a  stove  makes 
ashes,  or  a  thrashing  machine  makes  grain,  chaff,  and 
straw.  We  feed  a  thrashing  machine  with  a  certain  num- 
ber of  bundles  of  wheat,  and  get  from  it  a  certain  amount 
of  grain,  straw,  and  chaff— but  the  machine  does  not 
make  them.  It  was  all  in  the  bundles,  and  the  machine 
merely  separates  them.  And  so  it  is  in  the  case  of  an 
animal.  A  pig  has  no  more  to  do  in  making  rich  or  poor 
manure  than  a  thrashing  machine  has  in  making  white 
or  red  wheat.  It  depends  entirely  on  the  food. 

There  is  little  or  no  difference  in  the  composition  or 
value  between  the  manure  of  a  pig  fed  on  clover,  and  that 
of  a  sheep,  or  a  cow,  or  a  horse,  fed  on  clover.  But  if  a 
pig  is  fed  on  clover,  and  the  sheep  is  fed  on  straw,  the 
manure  of  the  pig  will  be  by  far  the  most  valuable,  sim- 
ply because  the  clover  contains  a  greater  proportion  of 
the  more  important  elements  of  plant-food. 

A  ton  of  corn,  fed  to  a  pig,  will  not  give  manure  worth 
as  much  as  a  ton  of  clover  hay  fed  to  a  sheep,  for  the 


138  HARRIS   ON   THE    TIG. 

simple  reason  that  a  ton  of  clover  hay  contains  more  of 
the  valuable  constituents  of  plant-food  than  a  ton  of  corn. 
But  a  ton  of  pig  manure  from  a  corn-fed  pig  may  be,  and 
often  is,  worth  more  than  a  ton  of  sheep  manure  from 
sheep  fed  on  clover  hay.  The  explanation  of  these  appa- 
rently contradictory  statements  is  this :  A  ton  of  corn 
contains  more  nutritious  matter  than  a  ton  of  clover.  It 
contains  more  starch  and  oil,  and  these  are  digested  and 
assimilated  by  the  pig,  and  consequently  there  is  a  less 
quantity  of  matter  to  be  voided  as  excrements.  On  the 
other  hand,  although  a  ton  of  clover  contains  a  greater 
proportion  of  the  more  valuable  elements  of  plant-food 
than  a  ton  of  corn,  yet  the  clover  does  not  contain  nearly 
as  much  nutritious  food  as  the  corn.  There  is  a  large 
proportion  of  crude  material  that  cannot  be  digested,  and 
this  is  voided  in  the  excrements ;  consequently,  we  get 
more  manure  from  the  ton  of  clover  hay  than  from  a  ton 
of  corn.  It  is  not  worth  as  much,  weight  for  weight,  but 
it  is  worth  more  as  a  whole,  because  there  is  more  of  it. 
In  other  words,  a  ton  of  pig  manure  from  corn  may  be 
worth  as  much  again,  as  a  ton  of  sheep  manure  from  clo- 
ver hay ;  and,  in  point  of  fact,  pig  manure  is  ordinarily 
worth  much  more  per  ton  than  the  manure  from  cows, 
horses,  or  sheep.  But,  at  the  same  time,  it  is  equally  true 
that,  if  the  same  food  was  fed  to  a  sheep  that  we  feed  to 
the  pig,  the  manure  of  the  sheep  would  be  equally  valua- 
ble. Pig  manure  is  usually  more  valuable,  in  proportion 
to  its  weight  or  bulk,  than  ordinary  farm-yard  manure, 
because  the  pigs  are  fed  on  more  nutritious  food,  or,  in 
other  words,  on  food  containing  a  less  proportion  of  crude, 
indigestible  matter,  and  consequently  we  get  less  bulk  of 
manure  from  the  pig,  but  it  is  more  valuable.  But  it  is  a 
grave  error  to  suppose  that  a  pig  will  make  better  manure 
than  a  sheep,  a  cow,  or  a  horse. 

The  following  table,  prepared  by  Mr.  Lawes,  shows  the 
average  composition  of  different  articles  of  food,  together 


THE    VALUE    OF   PIG   MANUilE* 


139 


with  the  relative  value  of  the  manure  made  from  the  con- 
sumption of  one  ton  of  each  food. 


PER  CENT. 

Valve  of  manure  in  $  <fe  cts  . 
from  1  ton  (2,000  Ibs)  of  food. 

f 
1 

1 

"3 

i^ 

it 

>i 

4b 

^-S 
*•  « 

P!3'S 

'si1 

«* 

II  , 

1 

1 

1.  Linseed  cake 

83.07.00 
89.08.00 
89.08.00 
90.04.00 
84.03.00 
84.52.40 
84.02.00 
88  0  3  00 

4.92 
7.00 
5.75 
3.38 
2.20 
1.84 
1.63 
1.89 
5.23 

1.65 
3.12 
1.76 
1.37 
1.27 
0.96 
0.66 
0.96 
2.12 

4.75 
6.50 
5.00 
3.80 
4.00 
3.40 
4.20 
4.30 
4.20 
1.25 
1.80 
1.80 
1.65 
1.70 
2.00 
2.60 
2.58 
2.55 
2.50 
1.50 
0.90 

0.60 
0.50 
0  60 
0.25 
0.22 
0.18 
0.35 
0.20 
0.22 

19.72 
27.86 
21.01 
15.65 
15.75 
13.38 
16.75 
16.51 
18.21 
4.81 
6.65 
7.08 
6.32 
6.65 
7.70 
13.53 
14.36 
14.59 
9.64 
6.43 
3.87 
3.74 
2.68 
2.25 
2.90 
1.07 
91 
86 
1.50 
80 
1.14 

2.  Cotton-seed  cake*  

3.  Rape  cake  .  .  . 

4.  Linseed.     .  . 

5.  Beans  

6.  Peas  

7.  Tares 

8.  Lentils  

9.  Malt  dust 

94.08.50 
85.  OH  75 

11.  Indian  meal 

88.0 
85.0 
84.0 
95.0 
86.0 
86.0 
86.0 
86.0 
84.0 
84.0 
82.5 
82.0 
81.0 
85.0 
83.0 
12.5 
11.0 
8.0 
•24.0 
13.5 
15.0 

1.80 

1.70 
2.20 
2.60 
2.85 
5.60 
6.20 
6.60 
7.50 
6.00 
5.55 
5.95 
5.00 
4.50 
5.50 
1.00 
.68 
.68 
1.00 
.70 
1.00 

1.13 

1.87 
1.35 
1.60 
1.17 
6.44 
7.52 
7.95 
1.25 
0.88 
0.90 
0.85 
0.55 
0.37 
0.48 
0.09 
0.13 
0.11 
0.32 
0.13 
0.42 

0.35 
0.50 
0.55 
0.65 
0.50 
.46 
.49 
.45 
.30 
.50 
.11 
0.89 
0.65 
0.63 
0.93 
0.25 
0.18 
0  29 
0.43 
0.23 
0.36 

12.  Wheat  

13.  Barley 

14    Malt 

15.  Oats.  ..                      

16.  Fine  pollardt 

17.  Coarse  pollard^:  

18.  Wheat  bran                     .     . 

19.  Clover  hav  

20.  Meadow  hay  

21.  Bean  straw 

22.  Pea  straw  

23.  Wheat  straw      .                       . 

24.  Barley  straw  

25.  Oat  straw        

26    Mangel  wurzel 

27.  Swedish  turnips  

28    Common  turnips 

29.  Potatoes  

30.  Carrots          

31.  Parsnips  

*  The  manure  from  a  ton  of  undocorticated  cotton-seed  cake  is  worth  $15.74  ; 
that  from  a  ton  of  cotton-seed,  after  being  ground  and  sifted,  is  worth  $13.25. 
The  grinding  and  sifting,  in  Mr.  Lawes  experiments,  removed  about  8  per  cent 
of  husk  and  cotton.  Cotton-seed,  so  treated,  proved  to  be  a  very  rich  and 
economical  food. 

t  Middlings,  Canielle.  *  Shipstuff. 

This  table  is  of  great  value  to  the  farmer.  Hitherto, 
we  have  worked  pretty  much  in  the  dark  in  regard  to  the 
profit  or  loss  of  fattening  pigs.  Many  farmers  contend 
that  there  is  no  profit  in  feeding  hogs,  while  others  claim 


140  HARRIS    ON^   THE   PIG. 

that,  when  the  manure  is  taken  into  consideration,  there 
is  no  farm  stock  that  pays  so  well.  But  it  must  be  con- 
fessed that  the  wildest  estimates  are  often  made  in  regard 
to  the  value  of  the  manure.  By  the  aid  of  the  above  ta- 
ble it  will  not  be  difficult  to  form  a  pretty  correct  estimate 
of  the  value  of  the  manure  from  any  given  lot  of  pigs, 
provided  the  kind  and  amount  of  food  consumed  is  known. 

Thus,  if  a  pig  was  fed  exclusively  on  corn  from  the 
time  it  was  weaned  until  it  had  gained  350  Ibs.,  it  would 
eat  about  1,500  Ibs.  of  corn.  Now,  as  the  manure  from  a 
ton  of  corn  is  worth  86.65,  the  manure  from  1,500  Ibs.  is 
worth  $4.99.  We  may  assume,  therefore,  that  when  pigs 
are  fed  on  corn,  in  the  production  of  every  hundred 
pounds  of  pork,  live  weight,  we  get  $1.42  worth  of  ma- 
nure. Or,  assuming  that  a  fat  pig  will  dress  80  per  cent 
of  its  live  weight,  we  may  conclude  that,  in  the  produc- 
tion of  every  hundred  pounds  of  pork,  we  get  manure 
worth  $1.78.  In  other  wrords,  in  calculating  the  profit  or 
loss  of  feeding  pigs  on  corn,  we  may  add  I3 14  cents  per 
pound  (in  gold),  to  the  price  of  the  pork  for  the  value  of 
the  manure  obtained. 

On  the  other  hand,  if  the  pigs  are  fed  on  peas,  we 
get  manure  worth  more  than  twice  as  much,  and  may  add 
31  |a  cents  a  pound  to  the  price  of  the  pork  for  the  value 
of  the  manure  made  in  its  production.  In  this  case,  if 
pork  sells  for  7  cents  per  pound,  we  may  calculate  that 
for  every  dollar's  worth  of  pork  sold,  we  have  50  cents' 
worth  of  manure  ;  or,  if  the  pork  sells  for  101),  cents  per 
pound,  for  every  dollar's  worth  of  pork  sold  we  have  33 
cents'  worth  of  manure  in  the  pig  pen. 

Boussingault  states  that  pigs  from  5  to  6  months  old 
will  eat  19  Ibs.  of  green  clover  per  day — equal  to  about 
5  Ibs.  of  clover  hay  each.  On  such  food  we  may  safely 
calculate  that  a  good  pig  will  gain  half  a  pound  of  pork 
a  day ;  and  if  so,  a  pig  that  would  dress  200  Ibs.  would 
have  eaten  green  clover  equal  to  one  ton  of  clover  hay;; 


THE   VALUE   OP  PIG  MANURE.  141 

and  as  the  manure  from  a  ton  of  clover  hay  is  worth 
$9.04,  we  may  calculate  that  every  hundred  pounds  of 
pork  so  produced,  leaves  us  $4.82  worth  of  manure. 

When  pigs  are  fed  skimmed  milk,  we  shall  probably 
not  be  far  wrong  in  estimating  that  the  manure  made  in 
producing  100  Ibs.  of  pork  is  worth  $5.00. 

Taking  these  four  estimates  together,  and  striking  a 
mean,  we  have  the  following  result : 

Value  of  manure  in  producing  100  Ibs.  of  pork  from  Indian  corn $1.78 

"  "  '     "  "  "  "      Peas 3.56 

"  «•  »  "  "  "      Clover ; 4.82 

"  "  "  "  "  "      Skimmed  Milk 5.00 

Average  of  the  whole $3.79 

In  other  words,  where  pigs  are  fed  on  clover  and 
skimmed  milk  during  the  summer,  and  are  afterwards  fat- 
tened on  half  peas  and  half  corn,  we  may  calculate  that 
every  pound  of  pork  sold,  leaves  on  the  farm  33 14  cents' 
worth  of  manure. 

It  must  be  borne  in  mind  that  these  are  gold  prices,  and 
also  that  this  is  merely  the  value  of  the  manure  made  by 
the  pigs  from  the  food  consumed.  The  litter  and  other 
materials  thrown  into  the  pen  have  not  been  taken  into 
the  account.  The  pig  cannot  be  credited  with  the  manure 
so  obtained.  If  we  throw  into  the  pen  100  Ibs.  of  pea  or 
bean  straw,  we  add  about  19  cents  to  the  value  of  the 
manure  heap ;  but  this  is  not  derived  from  the  pig,  but 
from  the  straw  ;  and  so  it  is  with  anything  else  thrown 
into  the  pen.  The  pig  converts  it  into  manure,  but  adds 
nothing  to  its  value.  The  pig  creates  nothing.  Whatever 
of  value  there  is  in  the  manure  heap  is  derived  from  the 
food  consumed,  and  from  the  materials  used  as  litter. 
And  yet  it  is  nevertheless  true,  that  we  can  obtain  from 
the  pig  pen  a  large  amount  of  valuable  manure  that  other- 
wise would  be  wasted. 

On  farms,  we  have  seldom  time  to  attend  to  such  mat- 
ters, and  there  is  not  as  great  a  necessity  for  it ;  but  per- 


4  HAREIS   ON  THE  PIG. 

sons  who  have  only  a  garden  or  small  place,  should  have 
a  pig  pen,  with  a  small  yard  attached,  into  which  all  the 
refuse  material  of  the  garden  can  be  conveniently  thrown 
— such  as  the  clippings  of  the  lawn,  weeds,  potato  tops, 
pea  and  bean  haulm,  leaves,  coal  ashes,  the  loose  dirt  that 
is  raked  up  in  the  garden  beds,  alleys,  and  walks,  and  the 
thousand  and  one  things  that  we  denominate  rubbish. 
The  whole  of  it  should  go  into  the  yard  attached  to  the 
pig  pen.  This  is  a  much  better  way  of  disposing  of  it, 
than  endeavoring  to  make  a  "  compost  heap."  With  such 
a  yard,  there  never  need  be  any  trouble  in  determining 
where  the  materials  in  the  wheel-barrow  should  be  emptied. 
You  have  always  a  place  for  all  rubbish  that  is  lying 
around  loose,  and  it  will  be  an  easy  matter  to  keep  the 
premises  neat  and  clean. 

"  But  oh,  the  smell !"  exclaims  a  gentleman  who  let  his 
Irish  coachman  keep  a  pig,  "I  cannot  endure  it."  True; 
but  this  is  the  fault  of  the  man,  and  not  of  the  pig.  A" 
respectable,  well  brought  up  pig  is  the  cleanest  of  all  our 
domestic  animals.  Let  him  be  washed  once  a  week,  and 
let  plenty  of  dry  earth,  or  soil  of  any  kind,  be  scattered 
freely  and  frequently  about  the  pen  and  yard,  and  all 
trouble  from  this  source  will  cease,  and  the  pig,  if  well 
bred,  and  well  fed,  will  become  one  of  the  most  popular 
features  of  the  establishment,  and  he  will  be  profitable 
also.  He  will  pay  in  using  up  the  refuse  from  the  house 
and  from  the  garden ;  pay  in  delicious  hams,  spare-ribs, 
and  tenderloin  ;  pay  in  firm,  white,  sweet  lard ;  and,  above 
all,  he  will  pay  in  furnishing  a  large,  rich  compost  for  the 
garden,  which,  with  the  addition  of  a  little  superphos- 
phate and  guano,  will  pay  double  and  treble  in  the 
abundance  of  crisp  vegetables  and  well  developed  fruit. 

The  main  point  in  managing  a  pig  pen  in  such  a  case  is, 
to  furnish  an  abundance  of  earth  to  keep  it  clean.  The 
pigs  will  root  it  over  and  mix  it  with  the  manure.  The 
earth,  especially  if  of  a  sandy  nature,  will  at  once  favor 


THE    VALUE    OF   PIG   MANURE.  143 

decomposition  and  absorb  the  gases,  and  they  in  their 
turn  will  develop  the  plant-food  in  the  soil,  and  we  get  a 
large  quantity  of  manure  that  is  free  from  smell,  and  not 
unpleasant  to  work  over  or  use  in  the  garden. 

Where  horses  are  kept,  the  refuse  litter  from  the  stables 
should  be  thrown  into  the  pig  pen.  Horse  manure  is  apt 
to  ferment  too  rapidly,  while  pig  manure  is  very  sluggish. 
Mixing  the  two  together  improves  both ;  and  besides,  the 
horse  manure,  when  dry,  makes  a  good  bed  for  the  pigs, 
and  saves  litter. 

For  garden  vegetables,  rich  manure  is  especially  valu- 
able. It  is  desirable  to  concentrate  the  manure  as  much 
as  possible.  We  do  this  by  fermentation,  which  reduces 
the  bulk,  and  at  the  same  time  renders  the  plant-food  in 
the  manure  more  immediately  available.  The  plan  here 
suggested,  of  throwing  the  dry  manure  from  the  horse 
stables  into  the  pig  pen,  will  tend  still  more  to  concentrate 
the  manure.  Pigs  void  large  quantities  of  liquid,  which 
contains  nearly  all  the  nitrogen  of  the  food.  The  horse 
manure  will  absorb  this,  and,  of  course,  we  get  a  much 
more  concentrated  manure  from  the  pig  pen  than  when 
straw  alone  is  used  for  bedding.  We  may  not  get  any 
more  plant-food  from  the  two  combined  than  we  should 
if  the  droppings  from  the  stable  and  from  the  pig  pen 
were  used  separately,  but  we  get  it  in  a  more  concentrated 
form  and  in  a  more  available  condition ;  and  this  is  a  point 
of  far  greater  importance  than  is  usually  supposed.  We 
are  inclined  to  believe  that-  many  of  the  diseases  which 
affect  vegetables  in  our  old  gardens  are  caused,  or  at  least 
increased,  by  the  excessive  accumulation  of  carbonaceous 
matter  in  the  soil,  caused  by  the  frequent  use  of  manure 
deficient  in  phosphoric  acid,  potash  and  ammonia.  The 
manure  from  a  pig  pen  littered  with  horse  droppings, 
thoroughly  decomposed  and  mixed  with  earth,  would 
furnish  garden  vegetables  with  all  the  plant-food  they  re- 
quired in  an  available  condition,  and  there  would  be  less 


144  HARRIS    ON   THE   PIG. 

danger  from  fungi  than  where  a  large  quantity  of  poor 
manure  was  frequently  used. 

On  many  farms  half  the  value  of  the  manure  made  by 
pigs  is  wasted.  There  is  no  part  of  the  establishment  so 
miserably  managed  as  the  pig  pen.  It  is  often  nothing 
more  than  a  pen  of  rails,  with  a  little  hovel  in  one  corner, 
covered  with  corn-stalks,  or  straw,  and  the  pigs  are  left 
to  eat  the  corn  on  the  ground,  and  wallow  in  mud  and 
filth.  If  pork  can  be  made  at  a  profit  in  this  way,  it  must 
be  a  good  business  when  conducted  properly. 


CHAPTER    XVI. 

PIGGERIES    AND    PIG    PENS. 

In  selecting  a  site  for  a  pig  pen,  the  first  requisite  is 
dry  ness.  A  side  hill,  sloping  towards  the  barn-yard,  is  a 
desirable  location ;  and  if  this  cannot  be  found  in  a  con- 
venient place,  it  is  not  a  difficult  or  expensive  matter,  with 
a  dirt  scraper  and  a  span  of  horses,  to  form  a  basin  in  the 
barn-yard,  using  the  dirt  to  make  a  high  and  dry  founda- 
tion for  the  pig  pens,  and  forming  a  slope  towards  the 
basin,  so  that  the  liquid  from  the  pens  will  rapidly  drain 
away  to  the  manure  heap.  If  the  soil  is  not  dry,  it  must 
be  drained  with  tile,  or  stone  underdrains,  at  least  two 
feet  deep ;  and  if  there  is  sufficient  fall,  four  feet  would 
be  far  better.  These  underdrains  are  not  designed  to 
carry  off  the  water  from  the  surface,  but  to  make  the  soil 
underneath  dry.  Surface  drainage  must  be  attended  to 
also ;  for,  as  the  liquid  from  well-fed  pigs  is  the  most  valu- 
able portion  of  the  manure,  it  is  especially  important  that 
the  whole  of  it  should  either  be  absorbed  by  the  straw  or 
other  bedding  in  the  pen,  or  drain  away  to  the  manure  heap. 

The  next  important  consideration  in  locating  the  pig 


PIGGERIES   AND   PIG   PENS.  145 

pen  is,  convenience  of  feeding.  Where  there  is  much  milk 
or  whey,  the  pen  should  be  located  with  reference  to  con- 
veying it  to  pigs  with  the  least  labor.  The  only  objection 
to  having  a  pig  pen  near  the  house  is,  the  smell ;  but  the 
labor  required  to  carry  the  slops  of  the  house,  etc.,  through 
a  dirty  barn-yard,  would  provide  muck  and  other  absorb- 
ent materials  for  rendering  the  pig  pens  free  from  all  un- 
pleasant odor,  and  furnish  a  large  quantity  of  valuable 
manure  into  the  bargain. 

Pigs  should  have  access  to  fresh  water  at  all  times,  and 
the  piggeries  should  be  near  a  pump.  If  there  is  no  well,  a 
large  cistern  should  be  provided,  and  the  rain-water  from 
the  buildings  conveyed  into  it;  and,  in  any  case,  the 
buildings  must  be  furnished  with  gutters,  to  prevent  the 
water  running  on  to  the  manure,  and  washing  out  its 
soluble  and  most  valuable  plant-food. 

Where  stone  is  abundant,  this  is  the  cheapest  and  best 
material  for  the  lower  story  of  the  pig  pens.  The  floors 
may  be  laid  with  flags,  and  the  joints  grouted  with  water- 
lime  and  gravel,  or  the  whole  may  be  grouted  with  lime 
and  gravel,  taking  care  to  provide  good  drainage.  We 
should  add,  however,  that  a  farmer  of  much  experience, 
who  built  an  expensive  piggery,  and  nagged  and  grouted 
the  bottom  of  the  pens,  says  that  his  pigs  did  not  thrive 
in  them,  and  he  subsequently  put  in  plank  floors.  He 
thought  the  grouted  floor  was  cold  and  damp.  He  is 
satisfied,  at  any  rate,  that  pigs  do  much  better  on  plank, 
than  on  stone,  or  grouted  floors. 

Some  of  our  own  pig  pens  have  no  other  floor  than 
beaten  earth ;  and  we  are  inclined  to  think  that  there  is 
no  material  superior  to  it,  and  certainly  none  so  cheap. 
The  great  point  is,  to  have  the  ground  high  enough,  so 
that  the  pens  shall  be  always  dry.  If  not  so  high  that 
the  liquid  will  not  run  rapidly  away,  draw  on  several 
loads  of  clay,  and  pound  it  down  hard  with  a  beater. 
Keep  the  pen  well  littered,  and  always  clean ;  let  the  pigs 
7 


140  HAKKIS    OHf  THE   PIG. 

have  access  to  fresh  earth,  ashes,  charcoal,  etc.,  and  they 
will  not  root  up  the  floor. 

In  arranging  the  pig  pen,  special  attention  should  be 
given  to  providing  a  ready  means  of  cleaning  out  the 
manure,  and  supplying  it  with  fresh  bedding.  A  pig 
pen  should  be  cleaned  out  every  day,  as  regularly  as  we 
clean  out  our  staples.  If  the  pens  are  conveniently  ar- 
ranged for  the  purpose,  it  is  but  a  few  minutes  work,  and 
it  will  soon  lead  the  pigs  to  form  cleanly  habits,  and  thus 
save  bedding. 

In  pens  for  breeding  sows,  we  have  found  it  very  con- 
venient, in  cold  weather,  to  have  a  partition  between  the 
sleeping  and  feeding  apartments,  with  a  sliding  door,  that 
can  be  easily  closed.  It  is  desirable,  when  pigs  are  to  be 
made  ready  for  the  butcher  in  eight  or  nine  months,  that 
the  sow  should  farrow  early  in  March;  and  it  often  hap- 
pens that  this  interesting  event  occurs  during  a  severe 
snow  storm.  With  a  warm  sleeping  apartment,  and  with 
a  door  that  can  be  closed  at  night,  or  at  any  time  after 
the  sow  has  been  fed,  thousands  of  pigs  that  are  now  lost 
might  be  saved.  This  plan  is  particularly  essential  where 
the  feeding  apartment  is  partially  or  wholly  uncovered. 
But  even  where  both  apartments  are  covered,  it  is  better 
to  have  a  partition  that  can  be  opened  in  warm  weather, 
and  closed  during  cold  storms. 

The  only  objection  to  this  plan  is,  that  the  sow  has  not 
so  much  room,  and  there  may  be  increased  danger  of  her 
crushing  the  pigs  against  the  sides  of  the  pen.  This  ob- 
jection, however,  is  more  apparent  than  real,  from  the 
fact,  that  no  matter  how  large  the  pen  is,  the  sow  is  almost 
certain  to  make  her  bed  near  one  of  the  sides.  She  almost 
invariably,  in  pigging,  places  her  back  against  the  rail  or 
side  of  the  pen,  the  object  probably  being  to  prevent  the 
little  pigs  from  getting  on  the  wrong  side  of  her,  where 
they  would,  in  cold  weather,  be  likely  to  perish  before 
they  find  the  teats.  Our  breeding  pens  have  a  rail  on  the 


PIGGERIES   AND   PIG   PENS.  147 

inside,  about  six  inches  from  the  sides  of  the  pen  and 
about  one  foot  high,  but  the  sows  before  pigging  take 
special  pains  to  fill  the  space  with  straw,  and  we  are  satis- 
fied that  if  they  did  not,  the  little  pigs,  when  born  during 
a  cold  night,  would  often  get  on  the  backside  of  the  sow 
and  be  chilled  to  death. 

The  accompanying  plan  of  a  piggery  (fig.  29)  is  furnish- 
ed us  by  Dr.  M.  Miles,  Professor  of  Agriculture  in  the 
Michigan  Agricultural  College,  who  writes : 

"  It  needs  but  little  explanation,  except  in  regard  to  the 
backside  of  the  building.  The  lean-to  is  a  shed,  open  above 
the  pen  partition,  that  separates  it  from  the  yard.  This 


Fig.  29. — PIGGERY  AT  THE  MICHIGAN  AGRICULTURAL  COLLEGE. 
ELEVATION. 

opening  may  be  closed  in  winter,  if  desirable.  The  up- 
right, or  main  building,  is  not  boarded  up  below  the  roof 
of  the  lean-to.  Figure  30  gives  the  ground  plan.  The 
curved,  dotted  lines,  show  the  swing  of  the  doors,  and 
the  straight,  dotted  lines,  mark  the  position  of  the  low 
partitions,  enclosing  the  bed.  The  plan  of  arrangement 
can  be  carried  out  with  a  single  pen,  or  it  can  be  indefinite- 
ly extended  for  large  establishments.  The  shed  for  pro- 
tecting the  manure  can  be  readily  cleaned  out  by  a  cart 
or  wheel-barrow,  running  through  the  open  doors,  between 
the  shed  pens,  while  the  swine  are  shut  out  in  the  yards, 
or  in  the  front  pens.  I  have  not  attempted  to  show  the 
arrangement  of  the  troughs,  but  simply  mark  their  posi- 


148 


HAERTS    ON   THE   PIG. 


tion.  Swine  can  be  easily  changed  from,  one  pen  to 
another,  by  shutting  out  others  in  the  yard,  or  front  pen. 
The  upper  story  is  for  storing  feed,  or  bedding,  etc." 

The  writer's  pig  pens  are  of  a  very  simple  kind,  put  up 
by  an  ordinary  farm  hand,  as  a  temporary  arrangement, 


8X64 


Fig.  30. — PIGGERY  AT  THE  MICHIGAN  AGRICULTURAL  COLLEGE. 
GROUND  PLAN. 

but,  as  they  are  found  to  answer  a  very  good  purpose,  in 
the  absence  of  anything  better,  we  give  a  description  of 
them. 

The  old  pig  pen,  which  we  found  on  the  farm,  was 
placed  on  one  corner  of  the  barn-yard,  selected,  apparent- 
ly, because  it  was  the  lowest  and  wettest  hole  about  the 
premises.  The  bottom  was  laid  with  plank,  to  keep  the 
pigs  out  of  the  water.  This  was  very  well ;  but  the  mo- 
ment the  pigs  stepped  out  of  the  pen,  they  plunged,  into 


PIGGEKIES   AND   PIG   PENS.  149 

a  wet  mass  of  manure  and  filth.  They  were  obliged  to 
wallow  through  this  mud  and  manure  every  time  they 
went  to  or  from  the  pig  pen.  We  have  a  weakness  for 
hyacinths  and  roses,  but  found  that  the  largest  beds  of 
them  afforded  no  pleasure  so  long  as  there  was  such  a  pig 
pen  in  one  corner  of  the  garden. 

Thanks  to  the  invention  of  India  rubber  boots,  it  was 
possible  to  get  about  on  the  backside  of  the  pig  pen.  We 
endured  this  two  years,  being  determined  not  to  fall  into 
the  common  error  of  new-comers,  of  tearing  down  old 
buildings  before  we  had  determined  where  to  erect  new 
ones.  At  length,  however,  with  axes,  crowbars,  a  span 
of  horses,  and  a  log  chain,  we  made  short  work  with  the 
old  pig  pen.  Not  a  stick  of  it  was  left  standing.  The 
ground  being  cleared,  the  first  thing  was  to  dig  an  under- 
drain,  3  feet  deep,  underneath,  and  at  the  point  where 
the  surface-water  settled ;  we  covered  the  tiles  with  stones 
to  the  top  of  the  land,  so  that  the  water  from  a  heavy 
rain  could  pass  off  rapidly.  We  may  add,  that  the  soil 
underneath  the  old  pig  pen,  for  two  feet  deep,  was  found 
to  be  the  blackest  and  richest  of  manure.  With  a  plow 
and  a  dirt  scraper,  this  was  all  removed,  and  ultimately 
drawn  on  to  the  land.  This  manure  was  certainly  worth 
three  times  as  much  as  the  old  pig  pen. 

The  barn-yard  was  on  a  side-hill,  the  pig  pen,  as  we 
have  said,  being  on  one  of  the  lower  corners.  On  the 
north  side  of  the  barn-yard  there  is  a  barn,  with  cow  sta- 
bles underneath,  and  a  horse  barn  at  the  north-west  corner. 
The  pig  pen  was  at  the  south-west  corner.  The 
first  thing  done,  was  to  build  a  stone  wall  on  the 
west  side  of  the  yard,  80  feet  long,  and  6  feet  high, 
laid  in  mortar.  The  next  thing  was,  to  plow  out  the  cen- 
ter of  the  barn-yard,  and,  with  a  dirt  scraper,  and  a  span 
of  horses,  make  a  basin  5  or  6  feet  deep,  with  sloping 
sides.  The  dirt  from  this  basin  was  emptied  along  the 
side  of  the  stone  wall,  15  or  16  feet  wide,  with  a 


150 


HARRIS    ON   THE   PIG. 


A3T7V 


S  PIG 

een  sle 


I 


K| 
I 


PIGGERIES    AND   PIG   PENS.  151 

gentle  slope  from  the  wall,  and  the  old  hole,  where  the 
former  pig  pen  stood,  was  raised  in  the  same  way.  This 
gave  us  a  dry  foundation.  As  we  have  said,  the  wall  was 
built  6  feet  high,  but,  by  the  time  we  had  scraped  out  the 
basin,  and  put  the  dirt  on  the  side  of  the  wall,  we  had 
raised  the  land  18  inches,  or  2  feet.  In  other  words,  the 
land  on  the  east  side,  towards  the  barn-yard,  was  nearly 
2  feet  higher  than  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  wall.  The 
tmderdrain  alluded  to,  runs  along  the  side  of  the  wall,  on 
the  west  side,  outside  the  barn-yard,  and  now,  instead  of 
needing  India  rubber  boots,  we  can  walk  around  in  slippers. 

On  the  top  of  the  wall,  a  stick  of  timber  was  placed, 
and  we  proceeded  to  put  up  a  common  shed,  with  roof 
boards,  14  feet  long,  and  battened  in  the  ordinary  way. 
Of  course  the  roof  slopes  towards  the  wall,  so  as  to  carry 
the  water  outside  of  the  barn-yard,  where  it  soaks  through 
the  soil  to  the  underdrain.  This  shed  is  divided  off  into 
pig  pens,  as  shown  in  the  diagram,  figure  31, 

The  pens  are  12  feet  deep,  and  16  feet  wide.  (It  would 
have  been  better  to  have  had  the  roof  boards  16  feet  long 
instead  of  14  feet,  as  it  would  have  added  very  little  to 
the  expense,  and  would  have  given  us  pens  14  feet  deep.) 
Between  each  two  pens  is  an  alley,  3  feet  wide,  boarded 
up  on  each  side  about  3  feet  high.  The  pig  trough  is 
placed  along-side  these  partitions,  and  the  food  is  poured 
into  it  from  the  alley. 

Each  pen  is  divided  off  into  two  parts — one  for  sleeping, 
and  the  other  for  feeding.  The  sleeping  apartment  is 
boarded  up  tight,  with  a  sliding  door,  against  the  wall. 
One  of  the  boards  that  forms  the  partition  between  the 
feeding  and  sleeping  apartment  is  hung  on  hinges,  so  that 
it  can  be  opened  or  shut,  according  to  the  weather.  It  is 
fastened  by  a  common  wooden  button.  One  of  the  boards 
which  form  the  outside  of  the  pen  is  hung  in  the  same 
way.  This  is  very  important,  as  it  enables  us  to  give  an 
abundance  of  fresh  air  in  warm  weather,  and  we  can  close 


152  HARRIS    ON  THE    PIG. 

up  the  pen  tight  during  a  storm.     It  is  also  convenient  in 
cleaning  out  the  pen  and  putting  in  fresh  bedding. 

We  do  not  recommend  these  pens  to  any  one  who  can 
afford  to  build  better  ones.  Their  chief  merit  consists  in 
their  cheapness.  They  can  be  easily  cleaned  out,  and  sup- 
plied with  fresh  litter.  Our  pigs,  when  old  enough,  are 
allowed  to  run  out  every  day,  into  the  barn-yard,  in  win- 
ter, and  the  pasture  in  summer ;  and  we  find  this  arrange- 
ment convenient  for  letting  them  in  and  out  of  the  pens, 
as  each  pen  opens  directly  into  the  barn-yard.  If  well- 
bred,  and  properly  treated,  the  pigs  will  go  to  their  own 
pens  as  readily  as  cows  or  horses  will  go  to  their  own 
stalls.  This  may  be  doubted  by  those  who  ill-treat  their 
pigs — or,  in  other  words,  by  those  who  treat  their  pigs  in 
the  common  way.  But  it  is,  nevertheless,  a  fact,  that 
there  is  no  more  docile  or  tractable  animal  on  a  farm  than 
a  well-bred  pig.  There  is  a  good  deal  of  human  nature 
about  him.  He  can  be  led  where  he  cannot  be  driven. 
A  cross-grained  man  will  soon  spoil  a  lot  of  well-bred 
pigs.  They  know  the  tones  of  his  voice,  and  it  is  amus- 
ing to  see  what  tricks  they  will  play  him.  We  have  seen 
such  a  man  trying  to  get  the  pigs  into  their  respective 
pens,  and  it  would  seem  as  though  he  had  brought  with 
him  a  legion  of  imps,  and  that  seven  of  them  had  entered 
into  each  pig.  No  sow  would  go  with  her  own  pigs,  and 
no  pigs  would  go  with  their  own  mother ;  the  store  pigs 
would  go  into  the  fattening  pen,  and  the  fattening  pigs 
would  go  where  the  stores  were  wanted.  Should  he  get 
mad,  and  use  a  stick,  some  active  porker  would  lead  him 
in  many  a  chase  around  the  barn-yard  ;  and  when  one  was 
tired,  another  pig,  with  brotherly  affection,  would  take 
up  the  quarrel,  and  the  old  sows  would  stand  by  enjoying 
the  fun.  Let  no  such  man  have  charge  of  any  domestic 
animals.  He  is  a  born  hewer  of  wood,  and  drawer  of 
water,  and  should  be  sent  to  dig  canals,  or  do  night-work 
for  the  poudrette  manufacturers. 


PIGGERIES    AND    PIG   PENS.  153 

At  their  regular  feeding  time,  we  can  take  twenty  or 
thirty  of  our  own  pigs,  and  separate  them  into  their  re- 
spective pens  in  a  few  minutes.  They  inherit  a  quiet  dis- 
position, and  we  would  dismiss  on  the  spot,  any  hired  man 
who  should  kick  one  of  them,  or  strike  him  with  a  stick, 
and  we  cannot  bear  to  hear  an  angry  word  spoken  near 
the  pens. 

The  alleys  between  the  pens  we  find  convenient  for 
storing  away  a  small  quantity  of  straw,  a  little  of  whicli 
can  be  used  every  day,  to  replace  that  removed  in  clean- 
ing the  pens.  By  making  a  small  hole  in  the  side  of  the 
pen,  little  sucking  pigs  can  come  through,  and  eat  a  little 
milk  or  crushed  oats  out  of  a  small  trough,  placed  in  the 
alley  where  the  sow  cannot  get  at  it. 

We  have  some  pens  that  have  no  partition  between  the 
sleeping  and  feeding  apartment.  They  are  not  as  warm 
as  the  others,  but  having  abundance  of  straw,  they  answer 
very  well  for  store  or  fattening  pigs  or  for  a  breeding  sow 
in  mild  weather.  On  the  whole,  however,  it  is  better  to 
have  the  sleeping  apartment  separate,  the  pigs  being 
warm,  and  not  so  liable  to  be  disturbed. 

For  a  breeding  sow,  the  sleeping  apartment  is  10  x  12  ft., 
and  the  feeding  apartment  6  x  12  ft.  Such  a  pen  can  be 
used  also  for  six  or  eight  store  pigs,  or  for  three  or  four 
fattening  pigs. 

We  have  smaller  pens,  12x12  ft.,  either  undivided  or 
divided  into  a  sleeping  apartment  7x  12  ft.,  and  a  feeding 
apartment  5  x  12  ft.  Such  a  pen,  if  divided,  answers  very 
well  for  a  litter  of  young  pigs,  after  weaning,  or  for  fat- 
tening two  or  three  pigs,  and  we  have  used  them  for  a 
small  sow  to  farrow  in. 

The  most  serious  objection  to  this  shed-made  pig  pen 
is,  that  the  roof  boards  must  be  put  on  with  great  care, 
and  well  battened,  or  it  will  leak.  They  should,  also,  be 
well  saturated  with  petroleum,  to  keep  them  from  shrink- 
ing and  warping. 
7* 


154 


HARRIS    ON   THE    PIG. 


Paschal  Morris,  of  Philadelphia,  an  extensive  breeder 
of  Chester  Whites,  describes  his  plan  of  ^a  piggery  as 
follows : 

"  The  plan  of  the  piggery,  delineated  in  the  accompany- 
ing engraving,  (fig.  32)  is  susceptible  of  reduction  or  exten- 
sion, for  a  larger  or  smaller  number  of  pigs,  and  is  intended 
to  supersede  the  not  only  useless,  but  objectionable,  as  well 


Fig.  33. — PASCHAL  MORRIS'  PIGGERY. — ELEVATION. 

as  expensive,  mode  of  constructing  large  buildings  under 
one  roof,  where  confined  and  impure  air,  as  well  as  the 
difficulty  of  keeping  clean,  interfere  greatly  with  both 
health  and  thrift.  Twenty-five  or  thirty  breeding  sows, 
farrowing  at  different  periods  of  the  year,  can  be  accom- 
modated under  this  system  of  separate  pens,  by  bringing 
them  successively  within  the  enclosure,  or  an  equal  num- 


PIGGEBIES   AND  PIG   PENS. 


155 


ber  of  hogs  can  be  fattened,  without  crowding  or  interfer- 
ence with  each  other. 

"  The  entrance,  as  seen  in  the  engraving,  is  on  the  north 
side  of  the  building,  which  fronts  the  south,  as  does  also 
each  separate  pen.  The  main  building  is  32  feet  long,  by 
12  feet  wide,  with  an  entrance  gate,  at  each  lower  corner, 
to  the  yard  of  two  first  divisions.  The  entry,  or  room, 
in  the  center,  is  8  feet  wide,  allowing  space  for  slop  bar- 
rel, feed  chest,  charcoal  barrel,  (almost  as  indispensable  as 
feed  chest,)  hatchway,  for  access  to  root  cellar,  underneath 
the  whole  building,  and  also  passage-way  to  second  story. 
This  latter  is  used  for  storing  corn  in  winter,  and  curing 


Fig.  33. — PASCHAL  MORRIS'  PIGGERY. — GROUND 

some  varieties  of  seeds  in  summer.  A  wooden  spout, 
with  sliding  valve,  conveys  feed  to  the  chest  below.  The 
grain  is  hoisted  to  the  second  floor  by  a  pulley  and  tackle 
on  the  outside,  as  observed  in  engraving. 

"The  perspective  of  main  building  allows  a  partial  view 
of  platforms,  surmounted  by  a  board  roof,  and  divisions 
in  the  rear.  The  ground  plan,  fig.  33,  allows  six  of  these  on 
either  side  of  the  passage-way.  The  first  two  pens,  to  the 
right  and  left  of  the  door,  are  12  x  12  feet  each,  and  at- 
tached to  them  are  25  feet  in  length  of  yard,  by  15  feet 
wide. 

"All  the  yards  are  extended  3  feet  wider  than  the 
building,  which  admits  of  the  two  entrance  gates  at  the 
corners. 


156  HARRIS    ON   THE  PIG. 

"Another  division  then  commences,  consisting  of  a 
raised  platform,  6  to  8  feet  wide,  and  extending  the  same 
width  as  the  first  pen,  with  a  board  roof  over  it,  and  also 
boarded  up  on  the  back,  which  answers  the  purpose  of  a 
division  fence,  to  separate  from  the  pen  behind.  Twenty- 
five  feet  of  yard  are  also  attached  to  this,  and  the  same 
arrangement  is  continued  to  all  the  six  divisions. 

"  We  have  found  this  board  roof  and  wooden  floor,  on 
the  north  side  of  each  pen,  and  fronting  the  south,  to 
be  ample  protection  in  cold,  wet,  or  stormy  weather. 
The  floor  is  kept  perfectly  clean,  and  even  the  feeding 
trough  is  not  on  it,  on  account  of  more  or  less  of  wet 
and  dirt,  always  contiguous  to  the  trough,  which  freezes 
in  winter,  and  becomes  slippery. 

"  Each  yard  is  used  for  the  deposit  of  refuse  vegeta- 
bles and  weeds,  litter,  etc.,  thrown  in  from  time  to 
time,  to  be  consumed  or  converted  into  manure.  This 
is  conveniently  loaded  into  a  cart,  passing  along  on  the 
outside  of  each  range  of  pens. 

"  The  passage-way  between  each  range  of  pens  gives 
convenient  access  to  the  feeder  for  all  the  divisions.  A 
door  also  communicates  from  one  division  to  the  other,  to 
make  changes  when  necessary ;  and  also  a  door,  or  gate, 
from  each  pen  to  the  outside,  so  that  one  or  more  can  be 
removed,  and  others  introduced,  without  any  confusion 
or  interference  from  any  of  the  other  pens.  The  two 
pens  under  the  main  roof  of  the  building,  being  more 
sheltered,  are  reserved  for  sows  who  may  happen  to  far- 
row very  early  in  the  season,  or  in  extreme  cold  weather, 
which  is  always  avoided,  if  practicable. 

"  For  several  reasons,  the  boiler  for  cooking  food  is  in  a 
rough  shed,  adjacent  to  the  piggery,  and  entirely  outside 
of  it.  There  is  no  reason  why  this  should  be  necessarily 
a  part  of  the  piggery. 

"  The  above  plan  is  not  offered  as  embracing  much  that 


PIGGERIES    AND   TIG    PENS. 


157 


158  HARRIS    ON   THE   TIG. 

is  novel  in  arrangement,  but  as  one  that  combines  many 
advantages — 

"  1st.  Complete  separation,  as  well  as  easy  communica- 
lion  between  each  pen,  as  well  as  to  outside  from  each. 

"  2d.  Avoiding  close  and  confined  air,  and  admitting  of 
extension  or  alteration  for  a  large  or  small  number  of  pigs. 

"  3d.  Facilities  for  keeping  clean  and  receiving  refuse 
vegetables  and  weeds,  etc.,  for  conversion  into  manure, 
and  also  for  loading  from  each  pen  into  a  cart,  passing 
along  outside. 

"  4th.  Cheapness.  With  the  exception  of  the  main 
building,  all  the  rest  can  easily  be  erected  by  an  intelli- 
gent farm  hand." 

The  illustrations  (figs.  84,  35  and  36)  were  engraved  for 
the  American  Agriculturist,  from  plans  forwarded  by  Mr. 
Roseburgh,  of  Amboy,  111.  They  were  designed  and  con- 
structed for  use  on  his  own  premises,  and  have,  there- 
fore, the  merit  of  being  the  production  of  a  practical  man. 

Fig.  34  represents  the  elevation.  The  main  building  is 
22  by  50  feet,  and  the  wing  12  by  16  feet.  It  is  supplied 
with  light  and  air  by  windows  in  front,  ventilators  on  the 
roof,  and  by  hanging  doors  or  shutters  in  the  upper  part 
of  the  siding,  at  the  rear  of  each  stall  or  apartment — these 
last  are  not  shown  in  the  engraving. 

Fig.  35  shows  the  ground  plan.  The  main  building  has 
a  hall,  jET,  6  feet  wide,  running  the  entire  length.  This  is 
for  convenience  of  feeding,  and  for  hanging  dressed  hogs 
at  the  time  of  slaughtering.  The  remainder  of  the  space 
is  divided  by  partitions  into  apartments,  A,B,  for  the  feed- 
ing and  sleeping  accommodation  of  the  porkers ;  these 
are  each  8x16  feet.  The  rear  division  of  each  apartment, 
B,  B^  is  intended  for  the  manure  yard:  Each  apartment 
has  a  door,  D,  D,  to  facilitate  the  removal  of  manure,  and 
also  to  allow  ingress  to  the  swine  when  introduced  to  the 
pen.  The  floors  of  each  two  adjoining  divisions  are  in- 
clined toward  each  other,  so  that  the  liquid  excrements 


PIGGERIES    AND   PIG   PENS. 


159 


and  other  filth  may  flow  to  the  side  where  the  opening  to 
the  back  apartment  is  situated.  Two  troughs,  $,  T,  are 
placed  in  each  feeding  room.  That  in  the  front,  $,  is  for 
food,  and  T,  for  clear  water,  a  full  supply  of  which  is  al- 
ways allowed.  This  is  an  important  item,  generally  over- 
looked ;  much  of  the  food  of  swine  induces  thirst,  and 
the  free  use  of  water  is  favorable  to  the  deposition  of  fat. 
An  excellent  arrangement  (shown  in  fig.  36,)  is  adopted 


\ 


V 


Fig.  35. — GROUND  PLAN  OP  MR.   ROSKBURGH'S  PIGGERY. 


to  facilitate  the  cleaning  of  the  troughs,  and  the  transfer- 
ring of  the  hogs  to  the  main  hall  at  slaughtering.  The 
front  partition  of  each  apartment,  JF\  (fig.  36,)  is  made 
separate,  and  contrived  so  as  to  be  swung  back,  and  fas- 
tened over  the  inside  of  the  trough,  T9  at  feeding  time,  or 
when  cleaning  the  trough.  It  may  also  be  lifted  as  high 
as  the  top  of  the  side  partition,  If,  when  it  is  desired  to 


100  HARRIS    ON   THE    PIG. 

take  the  hogs  to  the  dressing  table.  Triangular  pieces, 
E,  E,  are  spiked  to  each  front  partition,  and  swing  with 
it,  forming  stalls  to  prevent  their  crowding  while  feeding. 
These  are  supported,  when  the  apartment  is  closed,  by 
notches  in  the  inner  edge  of  the  trough,  made  to  receive 
them. 

The  wing,  W,  (fig.  35)  is  12  by  16  feet.  This  answers  for 
a  slaughtering  room.  In  one  corner,  adjoining  the  main 
hall,  is  a  well  and  pump,  P,  from  which,  by  means  of  a 


Fig.  36. — VIEW  OF   FRONT  PARTITION. 

hose,  water  is  conveyed  to  the  troughs.  At  the  opposite 
corner,  JT,  is  a  large  iron  kettle,  set  in  an  arch,  for  cook- 
ing food,  and  for  scalding  the  slaughtered  swine.  We 
would  suggest  that,  in  many  localities,  it  would  be  a  de- 
sirable addition  to  have  this  wing  built  two  stories  high, 
the  upper  part  to  be  used  for  storing  grain  for  the  hogs, 
and  also  that  a  cellar  be  made  underneath  for  receiving 
roots. 

We  give  from  the  American  Agriculturist  illustrations 
taken  from  the  working  drawings  of  a  pig-house  which 
has  recently  been  built  at  Ogden  Farm  (Newport,  R.  L). 
It  is  submitted  to  those  of  our  readers  who  may  con- 
template improvements  of  this  sort.  The  building  is 
14  x  32  feet,  and  cost  (built  of  rough  pine  battened,  with 
cedar  shingles  on  the  roof)  only  $425,  including  the  exca- 


PIGGERIES    AND   PIG   PENS. 


161 


vation  of  the  manure  pits,  and  the  boarding  up  of  their 
sides. 

"  Fig.  37,  is  the  ground  plan.  There  are  four  pens  8  x  10, 
two  6  x  10,  and  two  6x12.  The  troughs  all  open  into  the 
center  area,  and  are  opened  by  swing  posts,  which  expose 
them  to  the  attendant  for  cleansing  or  filling,  or  to  the 
swine  for  feeding,  as  may  be  desired.  The  two  large  bins 
at  the  sides  of  the  entrance  door  are  filled  with  dry  earth, 
with  which  the  pigs  are  treated  to  the  luxury  of  the  earth- 


.f 


Fig.  37. — GROUND  FLAN  OP  OGDEN  FARM  PIGGERY. 

closet — to  the  great  improvement  of  the  air  of  the  build- 
ing, and  of  the  manure.  The  floors  of  the  pens  are  made 
of  2-inch  planks,  6  inches  wide,  laid  with  1-inch  openings 
between  them,  which  secures  the  immediate  passage  of 
the  urine  to  the  pits  below,  and  the  gradual  working 
through  of  the  dry  manure,  mixed  with  earth.  In  the 
center  of  the  open  floor  stands  a  Prindle  steamer,  whose 
7-inch  smoke-pipe  discharges  into  the  middle  of  a  12-inch 
galvanized  iron  ventilator,  whereby  efficient  ventilation  is 
secured.  The  food  is  cooked  in  pork-barrels,  which  may 


162 


HARRIS    OX   THE    PIG. 


be  moved  about  at  pleasure  ;  the  flexible  steam  hose,  with 
an  iron  nozzle,  conveying  the  steam  to  the  bottom  of  the 
barrel.  Figure  38  is  a  cross  section,  showing  the  manure 


38. — CROSS-SECTION  OP  OGDEN  FAIiM  PIGGEUY. 

pits,  pens,  etc.  More  than  fifteen  cords  of  manure  can  be 
stored  in  the  pits,  which  are  to  be  emptied  through  shut- 
tered windows.  Figure  39  is  the  front  elevation  of  the 


Fig.  39.— FRONT  ELEVATION  OP  OGDEN  FARM  PIGGERY. 

building,  which  is  to  have  small  yards  at  the  sides,  com- 
municating with  the  pens  by  slopes  from  the  outer  doors. 
This  house  will  accommodate  from  thirty  to  forty  shoals, 
or  a  corresponding  number  of  breeding  animals." 


PIGGERIES   AND   PIG   PENS. 


1G3 


Mr.  Geo.  Mangles,  a  very  extensive  breeder  and  feeder 
of  pigs  in  Yorkshire,  England,  has  constructed  a  cheap 
and  simple  shed  for  fattening  pigs,  engravings  of  which, 
taken  from  Mr.  Sidney's  edition  of  Youatt  on  the  Pig,  we 
annex.  Mr.  Mangles'  description  is  as  follows : 

"  For  feeding  pigs  the  best  arrangement  is  a  covered 
shed  (shown  in  figure  40),  kept  dark,  with  partitions 
to  hold  three  pigs  in  each  division,  as  feeding-pigs  do 
not  require  much  exercise.  If  the  pigs  be  fed  regu- 


Fig.  40. — MR.  MANGLES'  COVERED  SHED  FOR  FATTENING  PIGS. 

larly,  and  a  little  fresh  bedding  spread  every  day,  the 
animals  sleep  and  thrive  very  fast.  The  improvement 
they  make  in  a  warm,  covered  shed,  with  plenty  of  fresh 
air,  is  astonishing.  A  feeding-pig  cannot  be  too  warm,  if 
he  has  plenty  of  fresh  air. 

"  I  have  had  pigs  fatten  very  fast  upon  latticed  boards, 
with  pits  underneath  for  the  droppings.  The  boards 
should  be  swept  occasionally,  and  sawdust  sprinkled  over 


Fig.  41. — MR.  MANGLES'  SHED. — GROUND  PLAN. 

them  and  swept  through.  This  plan  will  only  do  for 
feeding-pigs  (not  for  pigs  for  sale,  breeding,  or  exhibition), 
as  their  houghs  swell  very  much;  but  young  pigs  always 
do  better  on  boards  than  on  stone  floors. 

"  The  covered  pig-shed  (fig.  41),  of  which  a  plan  ac- 
companies this  description,  will  hold  about  sixty  pigs ;  the 


164  HARRIS    ON   THE   PIG. 

roof  is  of  light  spars,  covered  with  felt,  but  thin  boards 
would  be  better  and  cheaper  in  the  end.  The  pigs  thrive 
in  an  extraordinary  manner  in  this  shed,  which  is  divided 
into  nineteen  pens,  of  different  sizes,  some  of  which  I  find 
useful  at  lambing  time  to  put  ewes  and  lambs  in  at  night." 

DESCRIPTION     OF    ISOMETRICAL   PLAN    OF     PIG-SHEDS,    (Fig. 
42,)  SHOWING   THE    INTERNAL   ARRANGEMENTS. 

"  Length  of  shed,  60  feet ;  breadth,  18  feet,  inside ; 
height  of  walls  (of  brick],  6  feet ;  height  of  pens  inside, 
3  feet,  6  inches ;  thirty-three  posts,  9  feet  long,  and  3 
inches  square  out  of  ground  ;  five  posts,  5  feet  long,  by 
3  inches ;  two  strong  posts  for  doors,  6  inches  square. 

Pens. 
4  rails,  13  feet  long,  3  inches  by  1£  inches. 

Q         ti  0          "  "  " 

14     "  8  feet,  4  in.,  "  " 

8     "  7  feet  "  " 

4  rails  6    "  " 

4     <'  5    "  "  « 

600  poles,  3  feet  6  in.  long,  3  in.  by  1  inch. 
90  feet  boards,  11  in.  by  1  inch. 
150  boards  for  doors,  11  in.  by  1  inch. 

"  Wood-work  for  Hoof. — Three  boards  for  the  center, 
to  nail  rafters  to,  20  feet  long,  9  inches  deep,  and  1  inch 
thick ;  sixteen  rafters,  13  feet  long,  3  inches  by  2 ;  58 
rafters,  13  feet  long,  3  inches  by  1£ ;  120  feet  of  rails,  3 
inches  by  1|-,  to  lie  on  wall,  to  nail  rafters  to ;  eight  rails, 
20  feet  long,  3  inches  by  1|- ;  ten  lengths  of  felting, 
60  feet  long;  1,660  feet  boarding,  required  11  inches 
broad. 

"  There  are  air-holes  in  the  brick  walls  to  every  pen,  on 
one  side ;  on  the  side  where  the  folding  doors  are  set, 
there  are  four  air-holes,  and  two  holes  for  throwing  the 
manure  out.  One  end  of  the  shed  is  boarded  half  way 


PIGCEEIES    AND    PIG   PENS. 


1C5 


166  HARRIS    ON  THE   PIG. 

up,  the  rest  of  it  up  to  the  point  of  the  gables  of  open 
palings ;  the  other  end  is  boarded,  and  a  large  space  is 
filled  with  Venetian  blinds,  or  louvres. 

"  The  floor  of  the  pens  is  of  beaten  soil ;  a  drain,  3  feet 
deep,  filled  with  stones,  leads  to  the  liquid  manure  pit. 
The  passage  is  laid  with  bricks,  and  the  entrance  is 
flagged,  and  a  cart  can  be  backed  up  to  take  the  manure 
when  the  pig  pens,  or  pits  are  cleaned  out.  I  generally 
let  the  pits  get  full  of  manure,  and  contrive  to  empty 


Fig.  43.— SECTION  OF  COVERED  POOD  HOUSE  OF  TA.TTENHALL  PIGGERY. 

them  against  the  turnip  season.  They  are  soon  emptied; 
it  takes  one  hand  more  than  the  ordinary  force  for  filling 
manure. 

"  I  whitewash  the  walls  and  partitions  every  year,  and 
the  man  keeps  the  passage  swept  and  covered  with  saw- 
dust. My  troughs  are  iron,  with  many  divisions,  and 
filled  by  hand  from  the  passage.  Each  pit  will  hold  five 
or  six  porkers,  or  three  bacon  pigs." 

One  of  the  most  elaborate  piggeries  in  England  is  that 
at  Tattenhall  Hall,  in  Cheshire,  forming  a  part  of  the 
model  farm  buildings  on  a  dairy  farm  of  330  acres,  in  the 
occupation  of  Mr.  George  Jackson.  The  pig  sheds  are 
each  six  feet  high,  and  the  feeding  troughs,  and  the  pas- 
sage alongside  them,  are  under  cover. 

Figure  43  gives  a  section  through  the  food-house,  and 
figure  44  a  ground  plan  of  the  arrangement. 

w  The  floors  of  the  pig-yards  and  the  pig-sheds  are  of 


PIGGERIES   AND   PIG   PENS. 


167 


strong  sandstone  flags.  The  two  near  sheds  are  provided 
with  doors,  to  keep  them  warm  in  cold  weather,  and  with 
iron  doors,  fifteen  inches  square,  set  in  the  outer  wall,  for 
ventilation  in  hot  weather.  A  joist  is  set  on  three  sides, 
one  foot  from  the  wall,  and  one  foot  from  the  floor,  to 


Fig.  44.— GROUND  PLAN  OP  TATTENHALL  PIGGERY. 

prevent  mothers  from  overlaying  their  young.  The  c  out- 
lets,' or  yards,  are  too  small ;  but  we  were  cramped  for 
space.  The  drains  to  all  the  liquid  manure-tanks  are 
trapped. 

"  '  Whey,'  says  Mr.  Jackson,  c  forms  the  staple  food  of 
my  pigs,  the  fatting  ones  getting  a  portion  of  Indian 


168  '     HARRIS    ON   THE    PIG. 

corn-meal  and  barley-meal,  with,  occasionally,  in  winter, 
roots.' 

"  It  will  be  seen  that  the  food-house  is  the  receptacle  of 
these  kinds  of  food.  The  Windsor  troughs,  with  swing 
doors,  push  back,  and  shut  out  the  pigs  while  the  solid 
food  is  put  into  the  troughs,  and  one  key  locks  up  the 
whole.  The  whey  is  laid  on  to  all  the  troughs  from  four 
large  whey-cisterns  in  the  buttery,  and  one  hundred  pigs 
are,  all  summer,  daily  fed  with  as  many  gallons  of  whey 
per  meal,  in  one  minute,  by  simply  lifting  a  valve.  By 
this  plan  is  pig-feeding  made  easy,  and  they  get  properly, 
instead  of  laboriously  and  irregularly,  fed.  The  iron 
gates  are  provided  for  enabling  to  cleanse  and  straw  the 
sties.  The  rain-water  goes  off  by  a  drain,  and  the  liquid 
manure  passes  to  the  '  tank,'  from  which  it  is  drawn  by 
drain,  at  pleasure,  into  a  liquid  manure  cart,  in  the  middle 
of  a  ten-acre  meadow.  The  fowls  are  over  the  food-house, 
the  floors  of  which  are  flags,  but  are  equally  adapted  for 
boards." 

These  plans  are  given  merely  for  the  purpose  of  fur- 
nishing useful  hints.  Each  farmer  must  determine  for  him- 
self what  kind  of  pig  pens  are  best  suited  to  his  wants 
— to  his  location,  system  of  feeding,  etc.  But  whatever 
plan  he  may  adopt,  he  should  recollect  that  dryness, 
warmth,  and  good  ventilation,  are  absolutely  essential  to 
the  best  success  in  pig  feeding. 

There  is  one  point  in  Mr.  Mangles'  plan  that  is  worthy 
of  consideration,  and  that  is,  the  "  beaten  soil "  for  the 
floors  of  the  pens,  and  the  stone  drain,  three  feet  deep, 
under  the  pens,  to  carry  the  drainage  to  the  liquid  manure 
pit.  Where  such  thorough  drainage  is  provided,  there 
can  be  no  doubt  that  earth  floors,  beaten  hard,  answer  a 
good  purpose,  and  save  much  expense.  When  the  floors 
are  made  of  plank,  they  soon  get  worn  in  holes,  and  the 
liquid  soaks  through  the  joints;  and  if  not  ultimately 
lost,  we  loose  the  use  of  it  for  several  years,  or  until  the 


1G9 

pen  needs  a  new  floor,  and  the  soil  underneath  is  thrown 
out  and  replaced  with  fresh  earth.  With  beaten  clay 
floors,  very  little  liquid  will  soak  into  the  earth,  and  if  it 
does,  the  plant-food  which  it  contains  would  be"  absorbed 
near  the  surface,  and,  by  scraping  the  floors,  it  would  all 
find  its  way  to  the  manure  heap. 


CHAPTER    XVII. 

SWILL    BARRELS,     PIG    TROUGHS,    ETC. 

In  some  convenient  place,  near  the  pig  pens,  there 
should  be  a  receptacle  for  the  wash  from  the  house,  milk, 
whey,  waste  vegetables,  and  other  refuse.  This  is  often 
nothing  more  than  an  old  pork  or  cider  barrel.  It  is  dif- 
ficult to  conceive  of  anything  more  inconvenient.  It  is 
too  high,  and  too  circumscribed.  A  far  more  convenient 
and  inexpensive  arrangement  is  to  make  a  tub  out  of  two- 
inch  pine  planks — say  six  feet  long,  two  feet  and  a  half 
wide,  and  two  feet,  or  two  and  a  half  or  three  feet  high — 
according  to  the  number  of  pigs  kept.  Or,  what  is  better 
still,  make  such  a  tub  out  of  plank  twelve  feet  long,  and 
have  a  partition  in  the  middle.  In  this  way  you  have 
two  tubs  in  one.  The  food  for  the  store  pigs  can  be 
kept  in  one,  and  that  for  the  fattening  pigs  in  the  other. 
In  our  own  case,  we  find  it  desirable  to  have  two  such 
tubs,  each  twelve  feet  long,  and  divided  in  the  middle. 
Such  tubs  are  often  made  flaring,  being  wider  at  the  top  * 
than  at  the  bottom.  "We  do  not  think  there  is  any  ma- 
terial advantage  in  this,  and  it  requires  more  skill  to  make 
the  grooves  fit  true,  and  it  is  not  so  easy  to  furnish  them 
with  a  tight-fitting  cover.  The  latter  is  very  desirable. 
It  should  be  put  on  with  hinges,  and  made  of  planed  and 
8 


170 


HARRIS    ON   THE    TIG. 


matched  inch  boards,  and  divided  in  the  center  of  the 
tub,  so  that  one  part  may  be  closed  while  the  other  is 
open,  if  desired.  , 

At  the  house,  a  barrel  should  be  placed  in  some  con- 
venient place,  for  the  reception  of  all  dish-water  and  re- 
fuse. If  this  barrel  is 
set  on  wheels,  as  shown 
in  the  engraving,  fig.  45, 
copied  from  the  Ameri- 
can Agriculturist,  it  can 
be  easily  conveyed  to  the 
pig  pens,  and  emptied 
into  one  of  the  tubs 
above  described.  It 

Fig.  45.— PORTABLE   SWILL  BARREL.  ,          ,  ,      ,,  ,  -, 

should    then    be   mixed 

with  a  little  meal,  and  allowed  to  remain  until  the 
particles  of  meal  become  quite  soft.  It  is  then  much 
more  easily  digested.  If  a  slight  fermentation  takes 
place,  by  which  the  starch  of  the  meal  is  converted  into 
sugar,  and  a  little  of  it  into  alcohol,  the  pigs  appear  to 
relish  it  all  the  better.  A  small  amount  of  meal  fed  to 
store  pigs  in  this  manner,  in  summer,  enables  us  to  obtain 


46.— HEWN-OUT  PIG-  TROUGH. 

much  more  benefit  from  the  milk,  whey,  and  house  wash 
than  when  fed  alone. 

Every  pig  pen  should  be  provided  with  two  troughs — • 
one  for  food,  and  the  other  for  water. 

When  wood  is  abundant,  the  commonest,  and  perhaps 


SWILL   BARRELS,    PIG   TROUGHS,    ETC. 


171 


the  cheapest  pig  trough,  is  made  by  taking  a  log  about 
fifteen  inches  in  diameter,  and,  with  an  axe  and  adze, 
hewing  out  the  inside.  For  out-door  feeding,  they  are 
the  most  convenient  troughs  we  are  acquainted  with,  as 
they  are  not  easily  upset. 

When  used  for  pigs  confined  to  pens,  the  log  should  be 
hewn  out  in  two  divisions,  one  for  food,  and  the  other  for 
water,  as  shown  in  fig.  46.  A  twelve-foot  log  will  give 
about  six  feet  of  trough  for  food,  and  two  and  a  half  to 
three  feet  for  water. 

A  better  and  equally  simple  pig  trough  is  made  ffom 
two-inch  pine  or  hemlock  planks.  The  planks  should  be 
from  nine  to  fifteen  inches  wide,  according  to  the  size  of 
if/, 


Fig.  47.— PLANK  PIG  TROUGH. 

the  pigs,  and  the  number  in  a  pen.  The  planks  are 
nailed  firmly  together  at  right  angles,  with  twenty- 
penny  nails,  put  nine  inches  apart.  There  should  be 
either  two  troughs  for  each  pen,  or  the  one  trougli  should 
be  divided  into  two  compartments,  one  for  water,  and  the 
other  for  food.  The  ends  of  the  plank  must  be  sawed  off 
square  and  true,  and  a  piece  of  plank  nailed  at  each  end, 
sufficiently  tight  to  hold  water.  Such  a  trough  is  much 
more  likely  to  leak  at  the  ends  than  at  the  bottom,  and 
great  care  should  be  taken  to  saw  them  off  square,  and 
nail  them  on  tight.  When  both  planks  are  the  same 
width,  the  plank  that  is  to  be  against  the  side  of  the  pen, 
and  farthest  from  the  pigs  should,  in  nailing,  be  placed  on 
the  other.  This  will  make  that  side  of  the  trough  two 
inches  higher  than  the  one  next  the  pigs,  and  they  will 


1T2 


HAEBIS    ON  THE    PIG. 


be  less  likely  to  waste  the  food.  The  end  pieces  should 
project  about  four  inches  beyond  the  edge  of  the  trough, 
as  shown  in  fig.  47.  This  allows  it  to  stand  so  firmly 
that  the  pigs  will  not  be  likely  to  upset  it. 

Before  being  used,  the  troughs  and  the  swill  tub  should 
be  thoroughly  saturated  with  petroleum.  This  will  not 
only  preserve  the  wood,  but  do  much  to  prevent  it  from 
warping,  and  the  pigs  will  not  be  so  likely  to  gnaw  holes 
in  the  troughs.  % 

The  American  Agriculturist  gives  the  following  plans 
of  pig  troughs  which  allow  the  food  to  be  distributed 
along  the  trough  from  the  outside: 

"  The  pens  (fig.  48),  being  made  of  horizontal  boards, 


Fig.  48. — A  CONVENIENT  PIG  THOUGH. 


nailed  to  posts  about  6  feet  apart,  the  troughs  are  accu- 
rately fitted  between  two  posts,  so  as  to  project  a  little 
outside  the  boarding,  and  the  board  above  the  trough  is 
nailed  on  a  little  above  it ;  so  that,  when  the  edge  is 
chamfered  off  a  little,  any  thing  may  be  easily  poured 
into  it  throughout  its  whole  length.  This  arrangement 
admits  of  putting  partitions,  nailed  to  the  pen  above  the 
trough,  and  to  the  floor,  dividing  the  trough  into  narrow 


SWILL    BARRELS,    PIG   TROUGHS,    ETC. 


173 


sections,  so  that  each  pig  shall  get  only  his  share.  The 
only  objection  to  this  form  of  trough  is,  that  it  must  be 
cleaned  out  from  inside  the  pen. 

"  A  modification  of  this  arrangement  may  be  made,  the 
trough  coming  flush  with  the  outside  boarding,  and  the 
board  above  it  being  simply  taken  off  and  nailed  on  the 
inside  of  the  posts,  and  stayed  by  a  piece  nailed  perpen- 
dicularly, so  as  to  stiffen  and  prevent  its  springing. 

"  In  figure  49  we  show  an  old  plan  which,  after  all,  is  one 
of  the  very  best  contrivances  for  hog  troughs.  The 


Fig.  49. — SWINGING  DOOR  PIG  TROUGH. 

trough  is  set  projecting  somewhat  outside  the  pen,  and 
placed  as  in  the  other  pen,  filling  all  the  space  between 
two  posts.  Over  the  trough  is  hung  a  swinging  door  or 
lid,  some  3  feet  wide,  and  as  long  as  the  trough.  A 
wooden  bolt  is  placed  upon  this  lid,  so  that  when  it  is 
swung  back  and  bolteci,  the  hogs  are  shut  out  completely 
from  the  trough ;  and  when  it  is  swung  out  or  forward 
and  bolted,  they  have  access  to  it  again.  This  style  of 
trough  is  very  easily  cleaned  out.  The  lid  may  have  iron 
rods,  beat  into  a  Y-shape,  and  having  flattened  ends, 


174 


HARRIS    ON   THE    PIG. 


turned  in  opposite  directions,  screwed  upon  it,  and  so 
placed  that  they  will  entirely  separate  the  hogs — when 
feeding.  This  contrivance  is  shown  in  fig.  50.  Some  ar- 
rangement of  this  kind  will  he  found  as  great  a  eonven- 


i£.  50.  —  SWING  DOOU  WITH  FENDERS. 


ience  as  it  is  an  economy.  The  patented  hog  troughs 
are  usually  expensive,  and  no  "better,  if  so  good.  For  our 
own  use,  we  greatly  prefer  these  simple  fixtures,  which 
may  be  easily  made,  renewed,  or  repaired,  as  occasion 
may  require,  with  the  common  tools  which  every  farmer 


Fig.  51. — CAST-IRON  PIG  TROUGH. 

should  have  and  know  how  to  use.  Cast-iron  pig  troughs, 
of  different  patterns,  are  sold  at  the  agricultural  imple- 
ment stores.  One  of  them  is  shown  in  fig.  51 ;  the  weight 
of  the  one  figured  is  one  hundred  and  ten  pounds. 


MANAGEMENT    OF   PIGS.  175 

CHAPTER    XVIIL 

MANAGEMENT    OF    PIGS. 

The  object  of  keeping  pigs  differs  in  different  places 
and  circumstances.  The  dairy  farmer  keeps  pigs  princi- 
pally for  the  purpose  of  turning  his  whey  and  skimmed 
milk  to  good  account.  The  grain-growing  farmers,  in  the 
older  settled  parts  of  the  country,  keep  pigs  to  consume 
the  slops  of  the  house,  and  to  pick  up  scattered  grain 
around  the  barns  and  on  the  stubbles,  and  to  consume, 
and  turn  into  pork,  small  potatoes,  and  many  other  arti- 
cles that  would  otherwise  be  wasted.  At  the  West,  where 
corn  is  cheap,  and  the  expense  of  sending  it  to  market 
very  great,  pigs  are  kept  for  the  purpose  of  "  packing 
fourteen  bushels  of  corn  into  a  three-bushel  barrel."  In 
the  vicinity  of  the  Atlantic  cities,  pigs  are  kept,  or  might 
be  kept,  for  the  purpose  of  manufacturing  out  of  pur- 
chased food,  nice,  fresh  pork,  and  rich,  valuable  manure. 
And,  indeed,  in  all  sections  where  pigs  are  kept,  the  value 
of  the  manure  should  be  taken  into  consideration. 

PIGS    ON    DAIRY    FARMS. 

There  is  no  other  food  on  which  young  pigs  thrive  so 
well  as  on  skimmed  milk  and  Indian  meal.  Pigs  are  also 
very  fond  of  whey,  and  do  well  on  it  provided  they  have 
a  liberal  allowance  of  pea-meal  and  Indian  meal  fed  with 
it.  To  keep  pigs  on  whey  alone  is  a  great  waste  of  food 
and  time.  On  skimmed  milk,  and  the  run  of  a  clover 
pasture,  n,  well-bred,  young  pig,  will  grow  rapidly ;  but 
even  in  this  case  a  little  corn-meal  could  be  fed  with  very 
decided  economy  and  advantage.  The  oil  and  starch  of 
the  corn  restore  to  the  skimmed  milk  the  fat-forming 
material  which  has  been  removed  in  the  butter,  and,  in 
effect,  convert  it  into  new  milk  again.  But  it  is  very  de- 


176  HARRIS    ON   THE   PIG. 

sirable  that  the  meal  should  be  cooked  by  pouring  upon 
it  boiling  water,  and  stirring  it  carefully  until  it  is  made 
into  "  pudding."  In  the  dairy  there  is  usually  much  hot 
water  thrown  away,  which  might  be  used  for  this  purpose, 
without  cost,  and  with  little  labor. 

Since  the  introduction  of  cheese  factories,  dairy  farmers 
cannot  keep  as  many  pigs  through  the  summer  as  former- 
ly, but  early  in  the  spring,  before  the  factories  commence 
operations,  the  milk  is  used  at  home ;  and  it  is  well  to 
have  some  litters  of  young  pigs,  which  can  be  sold  to 
good  advantage  soon  after  weaning.  The  sows  can  be 
summered  on  grass  and  on  the  slops  of  the  house,  and  an- 
other litter  would  be  obtained  in  the  fall.  When  cows 
are  well  wintered,  and  fed  on  more  or  less  grain  or  oil- 
cake, then  fall  pigs  can  be  kept  through  the  winter  in 
good  condition  at  very  slight  expense,  and  they  will  be 
valuable  to  sell  to  the  factories  or  other  feeders  the  next 
summer.  Usually,  this  system  will  pay  better  than  at- 
tempting to  fatten  them  at  home. 

PIGS    ON    GRAIN    FARMS. 

On  farms  where  much  grain  is  grown,  and  only  a  few 
cows  are  kept,  it  is  usually  not  profitable  to  keep  a  large 
stock  of  pigs.  The  common  mistake  made,  however,  is 
not  in  keeping  too  many,  but  in  not  feeding  them  liberal- 
ly. As  a  rule,  the  pigs  are  kept  on  short  allowance  until 
they  are  shut  up  to  fatten,  after  the  corn  is  ripe,  although 
there  can  be  no  doubt  that  a  bushel  of  corn,  fed  to  pigs 
while  on  clover  during  the  summer,  will  produce  double 
or  treble  as  much  pork  as  a  bushel  of  new  corn  fed  in 
cool  weather,  in  the  autumn,  when  the  pigs  have  nothing 
but  corn.  A  few  fall  pigs  can  be  kept  in  the  yards  dur- 
ing the  winter  to  good  advantage,  especially  if  the  cattle 
are  fed  grain.  But  it  is  a  great  mistake  to  stint  young 
pigs  through  the  winter,  although  it  must  be  confessed 


MANAGEMENT   OF   PIGS.  177 

that  it  is  a  very  common  one.  The  sows,  and  any  spring 
pigs  that  may  be  wintered  over,  will  pick  up  the  lion's 
share  of  the  scattered  grain  and  other  food  in  the  yards ; 
and  while  it  is  often  inconvenient  to  separate  the  young 
pigs  from  the  older  ones,  yet  it  is  not  a  difficult  matter  to 
make  a  hole  in  one  of  the  sides  of  the  pens  that  will  ad- 
mit the  young  pigs  through,  and  exclude  the  large  ones, 
and  in  this  way  the  young  pigs  can  be  fed  more  and  bet- 
ter food  This  is  a  very  important  point.  The  young 
pigs  should  be  kept  growing  rapidly  through  the  winter 
and  spring  months.  They  should  be  in  a  condition  that 
most  farmers  would  pronounce  "  too  fat."  Young,  well- 
bred  pigs,  so  wintered,  can  be  summered  in  a  clover  pas- 
ture at  comparatively  little  cost,  and  it  is  astonishing  how 
fast  they  will  grow.  We  have  kept  a  lot  of  grade  Essex 
fall  pigs  during  the  summer  on  a  rich  clover  pasture  near 
the  barn-yard,  and  the  slop  from  the  house,  without  any 
grain,  that  were  sold  at  an  extra  price  on  the  first  of  Oc- 
tober, to  "top-off"  a  car  load  of  fat  pigs  sent  to  the  New 
York  market.  And  the  whole  secret  of  the  matter,  if  se- 
cret it  is,  was  in  feeding  the  young  pigs  liberally  through 
the  winter. 

Few  things  would  pay  a  grain  growing  farmer  better 
than  to  raise  peas  for  his  pigs.  No  matter  how  "  buggy" 
the  peas  may  be,  the  bugs  or  beetles  remain  in  the  peas 
until  about  the  first  of  November ;  and  when  the  peas  are 
fed  out  before  this  time,  the  pigs  will  eat  peas  and  bugs 
together,  and  there  will  be  little  loss.  Nothing  makes 
firmer  or  better  pork  and  lard  than  peas,  an  1  the  manure 
from  pea-fed  pigs  is  exceedingly  rich.  A  heavy  crop  of 
peas,  too,  is  a  capital  crop  to  precede  winter  wheat.  They 
will  smother  the  weeds,  and,  if  sown  early,  are  off  the 
land  in  good  season  to  allow  thorough  working  of  the 
land  before  wheat  sowing.  If  other  food  is  scarce,  a  few 
of  the  peas  may  be  cut  in  June,  as  soon  as  the  pods  are 
formed,  and  fed  green  to  the  pigs,  and  a  daily  allowance 
8* 


178  HARRIS    ON   THE   PIG. 

may  be  fed  until  the  peas  are  fully  ripe.  In  fact,  many 
farmers  feed  all  their  peas  to  the  pigs  without  thrashing. 
But  this  is  a  wasteful  plan.  When  the  peas  are  ripe, 
pigs  will  do  much  better  on  them  cooked,  or  at  least 
soaked  in  water  for  twenty-four  hours  before  feeding. 
And  in  addition  to  this  advantage,  pea  straw,  when  well 
cured  and  carefully  harvested,  is  nearly  as  good  for  sheep 
as  clover  hay,  and  certainly  will  much  more  than  pay  the 
expense  of  thrashing.  A  large  farmer  in  Michigan,  who 
has  made  himself  and  his  farm  rich,  attributes  his  success 
principally  to  growing  a  large  quantity  of  peas  every 
year,  and  feeding  them  to  pigs.  He  thrashes  the  peas, 
and  cooks  them,  but  does  not  grind  them,  as  he  thinks 
cooking  is  better  and  cheaper  than  grinding.  The  manure 
from  his  pea-fed  pigs  has  made  his  farm  one  of  the  most 
productive  in  the  State. 

FATTENING    PIGS    NEAR    LARGE    CITIES. 

Nurserymen,  seed  growers,  and  market  gardeners  near 
our  large  cities  require  great  quantities  of  manure.  Hith- 
erto they  have  obtained  it  from  the  horse  and  cow  stables 
in  the  city,  but  the  demand  is  greater  than  the  supply, 
and  the  price  is  so  high  that  many  are  looking  to  other 
sources  for  manure.  In  Rochester,  the  price  of  manure 
from  the  stables  is  $1.25  per  load,  and  by  the  time  it  is 
well  rotted,  it  requires  three  loads  of  fresh  manure,  as 
drawn,  to  make  one  load  of  rotted  manure,  as  applied  to 
the  land.  1  his,  added  to  the  expense  of  drawing,  brings 
the  cost  of  the  manure  up  to  about  $100  per  acre.  In 
Geneva,  N.  Y.,  where  the  nursery  business  is  carried  on 
very  extensively,  the  price  of  manure  is  even  higher  still, 
or  $1.50  per  load  at  the  stables.  And  there,  as  well  as  at 
Rochester,  some  of  the  nurserymen  are  turning  their  at- 
tention to  fattening  sheep  in  winter  for  the  purpose  of 
obtaining  cheaper  and  better  manure.  The  result,  so  far, 


MANAGEMENT   OF   PIGS.  179 

has  beon  eminently  satisfactory  where  the  nurserymen 
have  land  enough  to  raise  their  own  clover  hay. 

But  where  land  is  very  high,  and  where,  consequently, 
it  will  not  pay  to  raise  clover  hay,  some  other  system 
must  be  adopted.  Pig  feeding  would  seem  to  offer  the 
best  prospects  of  producing  the  richest  manure  at  the 
least  cost. 

For  this  purpose,  the  first  requisite  is  a  good  breed  of 
pigs,  that  will  mature  early,  and  fatten  at  any  age,  so  that 
they  could  be  disposed  of  at  any  time  when  choice  fresh 
pork  was  in  demand,  at  good  prices.  Unfortunately,  such 
pigs  are  difficult  to  find,  and  will  continue  very  scarce 
until  formers  learn  the  importance  of  using  none  but 
thorough-bred  boars,  of  a  highly  refined  breed,  with 
properly  selected  common  sows.  With  young  pigs,  so 
bred,  we  have  no  doubt  that  the  system  of  feeding  pigs 
on  purchased  food  might  be  profitably  adopted  near  our 
large  cities.  Certainly,  manure  could  be  obtained  in  this 
way  at  far  less  cost,  in  proportion  to  its  value,  than  is  now 
generally  paid  for  it.  A  study  of  the  table  on  page  139, 
showing  the  value  of  manure  from  different  foods,  and  an 
examination  of  the  results  of  Lawes'  and  Gilbert's  experi- 
ments in  feeding  pigs  with  different  foods,  showing  what 
kinds  produce  the  greatest  increase,  will  enable  any  one 
to  select  feeding  stuffs  with  judgment  and  economy. 
Three  things  have  to  be  considered  :  the  cost  of  the  food  ; 
its  feeding  value,  and  the  value  of  the  manure  obtained 
from  its  consumption.  We  have  given  all  the  data  nec- 
essary to  enable  any  intelligent  man  to  engage  in  this 
business  with  confidence  and  success.  If  there  is  any 
error,  it  is  on  the  safe  side,  for  we  are  satisfied,  from  our 
own  experience,  that  well-bred  pigs  can  be  so  fed  as  to 
give  a  greater  increase  from  the  food  consumed  than  was 
obtained  in  Mr.  Lawes'  experiments,  when  no  special  at- 
tention was  paid  to  the  breed.  In  this  connection  some 
useful  hints  may  be  obtained  from  the  following  chapter. 


180 


HARRIS    ON   THE    PIG. 


ENGLISH    EXPERIENCE    IN   PIG    FEEDING.  131 

CHAPTER     XIX. 

ENGLISH    EXPERIENCE    IN    PIG    FEEDING. 

In  some  respects,  the  farmers  of  England  and  the  fann- 
ers of  the  Middle  and  Eastern  States  are  similarly  situa- 
ted. England  does  not  raise  scarcely  half  as  much  wheat 
as  is  needed  by  her  population,  and  the  same  is  true  of 
our  Middle  States;  while  in  New  England,  enough  wheat 
is  not  raised  to  support  one-tenth  of  the  population. 
English  farmers  are  thrown  into  direct  competition  with 
the  produce  of  all  other  countries,  and  the  farmers  of 
New  England  and  the  Middle  States  have  to  compete 
with  the  produce  of  the  Western  States.  Prices  depend 
less  on  the  home  crop  than  on  the  yield  in  those  countries 
from  which  the  principal  supply  is  derived.  A  poor  crop 
at  home  is  not  necessarily  compensated  by  higher  prices. 
And,  therefore,  it  is  particularly  important  to  guard  as 
much  as  possible  against  poor  crops  from  unpropitious 
seasons.  High  farming  is  found  to  be  the  best  safeguard. 
But  high  farming  not  only  requires  thoroughly  drained 
and  well  tilled  land,  but  abundance  of  manure.  English 
farmers  must  compete  with  the  cheap  land  of  our  West- 
ern States,  and  also  with  the  cheap  labor  of  Ireland  and 
the  continent.  But,  in  spite  of  all  this,  they  continue 
more  prosperous,  as  a  whole,  than  the  farmers  of  any 
other  country. 

We  cannot  adopt  the  English  system  of  agriculture, 
but  the  principles  on  which  it  rests  are  as  applicable  here 
as  there.  What  the  farmers  of  New  England  and  the 
Middle  States  require,  is  more  capital,  more  labor,  and 
more  manure.  And,  in  many  places,  manure  can  be  ob- 
tained cheaper  and  better  from  feeding  well-bred  pigs 
than  in  any  other  way.  This,  at  any  rate,  has  been  the 
experience  of  many  English  farmers,  and  the  prospects 


182  HAKEIS    ON   THE    PIG. 

are  still  more  favorable  in  the  New  England  and  other 
Atlantic  States,  because  food  is  cheaper  than  it  is  in  Eng- 
land, and  the  large  cities  are  not  as  well  supplied  with 
choice  fresh  pork  as  are  those  of  England,  and  conse- 
quently it  brings,  or  would  bring,  if  it  could  be  obtained, 
a  relatively  higher  price,  as  compared  with  beef,  mutton, 
and  barreled  pork. 

In  1862,  Mr.  Baldwin,  of  Breton  House,  near  Birming- 
ham, delivered  a  lecture  before  the  Worcestershire  Agri- 
cultural Society  on  the  breeding  and  feeding  of  pigs,  in 
which  he  said : 

"  In  1845,  he  entered  upon  a  farm  at  Kingsnorton.  In 
1846,  he  purchased  two  gilts  and  a  boar,  of  the  Tarn  worth 
breed,  and  although  he  began  breeding  with  only  three 
pigs  in  1846,  in  1851  he  sold  £1,000,  say  $5,000,  worth 
of  store  and  fat  pigs  within  one  year ;  and  in  the  years 
1852,  1853,  1854,  and  1855,  he  sold  about  £1,000  worth 
each  year.  The  idea  of  feeding  such  numbers  of  pigs 
was  first  conceived  by  him  at  a  county  meeting  at  Wor- 
cester, in  1849,  after  free  trade  had  come  into  full  opera- 
tion. One  of  the  speakers  produced  many  samples  of 
foreign  produce  at  amazingly  low  prices.  Among  them 
was  a  good  sample  of  Egyptian  beans,  at  9s.  and  9s.  6d. 
per  bag ;  Indian  corn  at  the  same  price,  and  Dantzic 
wheat,  also,  very  low.  c  Gentlemen,'  exclaimed  the  speak- 
er, '  can  you  grow  them  at  these  prices  ?'  He  (Mr. 
Baldwin)  looked  on  the  bright  side  of  the  question,  and 
began  to  ask  himself  how  he  might  turn  the  low  price  of 
grain  to  good  account.  It  struck  him  that,  us  he  had  a 
great  many  store  pigs,  he  would  feed  them  instead  of 
selling  them  as  stores.  He  accordingly  bought  a  large 
quantity  of  Indian  corn,  at  from  9s.  to  9s.  Qd.  per  bag, 
[200  Ibs.],  to  begin  with;  and  within  two  years  and  a 
quarter  from  that  time,  he  bred,  fed,  and  sold  £2,000  worth 
of  pigs,  and  cleared,  after  paying  all  expenses,  £500,  be- 


ENGLISH    EXPERIENCE    IX   PIG   FEEDING.  183 

sides  making  a  vast  amount  of  manure,  which  he  consid- 
ered far  better  than  guano,  because  more  durable. 

"  The  plan  which  he  adopted  in  breeding  was,  to  put 
the  sows  to  the  boar  in  November,  and  pick  the  breeders 
principally  from  the  earliest  pigs,  when  he  got  his  stock 
up  to  about  forty  breeding  sows.  In  picking  the  breed- 
ers, he  used  to  pick  them  several  times  over,  as  it  fre- 
quently happened  that  those  which  looked  the  best  and 
prettiest  when  young,  altered  considerably  when  they 
got  three,  four,  and  five  months  old.  The  rule  was  to 
pick  long-growing  pigs,  and  those  that  were  straight  and 
thick  through  the  shoulder  and  heart,  and  experience  had 
convinced  him  that  his  method  of  choosing  was  a  correct 
one.  He  always  kept  to  the  Tarn  worth  breeds,  generally 
purchasing  the  boars,  but  breeding  the  sows.  If  he  found 
the  pigs  getting  too  fine,  he  purchased  a  good  strong 
boar,  and  if  the  animals  exhibited  tendencies  the  other 
way,  he  picked  a  boar  of  good,  small  bone,  but  was  al- 
ways particular  to  select  a  boar  that  was  thick  through 
the  shoulder  and  heart,  and  a  straight-growing  pig,  of  the 
same  color  and  breed.  By  carefully  following  this  plan, 
he  got  the  breed  so  good,  that  it  was  a  rare  occurrence  to 
see  even  a  middling  pig  in  all  the  herd,  though  he  bred 
from  250  to  300  each  year.  His  plan  of  keeping  was  as 
follows :  As  soon  as  the  sows  littered,  they  were  kept 
on  kibbled  [crushed]  oats,  scalded,  with  raw  Swedes  or 
cabbage;  and  when  the  pigs  got  to  the  age  of  three 
weeks  or  a  month,  he  turned  the  sows  out  from  them  for 
a  short  time  every  day,  and  gave  the  pigs  a  few  peas  or 
Indian  corn  while  the  sow  was  away.  When  the  weather 
was  fine  and  warm,  the  pigs  went  out  with  the  mother 
into  a  grassy  field  for  a  short  time.  He  found  that  young 
pigs,  from  the  age  of  three  weeks,  required  dirt  or  grit ; 
and,  therefore,  if  the  weather  was  bad,  and  they  could 
not  be  turned  out,  it  was  necessary  to  put  some  grit  into 
the  sty.  This  was  quite  important,  as  he  believed  it  was 


131:  HABKIG    OX   THE    PIG. 

necessary  for  the  proper  digestion  of  their  food.  He  had 
had  young  pigs  looking  very  bad  and  drooping,  but  when 
turned  out,  that  they  might  get  dirt,  they  soon  became 
nil  right  again.  In  fact,  it  was  absolutely  necessary,  dur- 
ing the  whole  life  of  a  pig,  to  allow  it  an  opportunity  of 
getting  grit  or  dirt,  or  it  would  not  thrive  well. 

"  At  seven  or  eight  weeks  old,  all  the  pigs  he  did  not 
require  for  breeding  he  had  cut,  and  began  to  wean  them 
a  fortnight  afterwards.  He  then  turned  them  into  a  grass 
field,  with  a  hovel  for  them  to  run  into,  and  allowed  each 
pig  a  quart  per  day  of  peas,  Egyptian  beans,  or  Indian 
corn.  lie  gave  them  one  pint  of  the  corn  in  the  morning, 
and  the  other  in  the  evening,  with  regularity  as  to  time 
and  quantity,  and  found  it  better  to  give  it  them  on  the 
grass,  in  a  clean  place,  each  time,  than  in  a  trough,  as  it 
prevented  quarreling,  and  each  pig  got  his  share.  With 
this  quart  of  corn  per  day,  and  what  grass  they  got  dur- 
ing the  seven  months  of  the  year,  with  nothing  but  water 
to  drink,  the  pigs  would,  on  the  average,  make  5  Ibs.  of 
pork,  each,  per  week.  After  eight  months,  he  allowed  an 
extra  half  pint  of  corn  per  day.  At  the  present  price  of 
corn  (1862),  the  allowance  would  cost  about  Is.  per  week 
[24  cents],  for  each  pig ;  grass,  4  cents  ;  attention  of  man, 
2  cents ;  total  cost,  Is.  3d.  (30  cents),  leaving  a  profit  of 
24  cents  per  week  on  each  pig,  when  pork  was  12  cents 
per  pound  ;  it  was  no\v  14  cents. 

" One  man  attended — well,  to  from  200  to  300  pigs;  he 
was  an  Irishman,  for  few  Englishmen  liked  the  job  suf- 
ficiently well  to  take  an  interest  in  them,  and  carelessness 
on  the  part  of  the  man  materially  decreased  the  profits. 

<;  He  kept  the  store  sows,  when  with  pig,  the  same  as 
the  other  stores.  They  ran  about  in  a  field  until  a  fort- 
night before  pigging,  when  he  placed  them  in  a  covered 
shed,  so  constructed  as  to  admit  as  much  sun  as  possible. 
Young  pigs,  kept  in  the  manner  described,  were  always 
nearly  fat  enough  for  porkers,  and  did  not  require  more 


ENGLISH    EXPERIENCE    IN    PIG    FEEDING.  185 

than  two  or  three  weeks  feeding  on  meal.  It  was  time 
enough  to  begin  to  feed  pigs  for  bacon  at  eight  or  ten 
months  old.  Good  breeding  sows  he  allowed  to  have 
two  farrows,  and  sometimes  three,  but  never  more,  and 
then  fed  them  for  bacon,  supplying  their  places  with 
young  sows. 

"  In  selling  store  pigs,  he  charged  a  certain  price  per 
pound,  and  allowed  the  purchaser  to  pick  the  pigs  from 
the  field,  which  plan  always  gave  satisfaction,  and  secured 
a  return  of  custom.  It  was  desirable,  in  breeding  ani- 
mals, to  have  as  little  bone  as  possible,  in  proportion  to 
flesh.  He  had  tested  a  cut  sow  of  his  breed,  which 
weighed  640  Ibs.,  and  the  whole  of  the  bones,  after  the 
flesh  had  been  boiled  from  them,  weighed  only  21  Ibs.,  so 
that  for  every  pound  of  bones  there  was  32  Ibs.  of  meat. 
His  pigs  made  1  Ib.  of  flesh  for  every  4  Ibs.  of  good  In- 
dian corn,  barley  or  pea-meal ;  as  a  rule,  he  preferred  the 
Indian  corn.  He  considered  it  always  to  be  more  profita- 
ble to  feed  good  food  than  upon  that  of  inferior  quality. 
As  a  rule,  pigs  would  thrive  better  for  being  turned  out 
once  a  day,  except  in  wet  weather,  and  would  also  be 
healthier,  more  active,  and  have  a  cleaner  appearance. 
One  of  the  greatest  pleasures  his  breeding  afforded  him 
was  to  see  the  number  of  laboring  men  who  came  to  buy 
from  him,  and  he  hoped  to  live  to  see  the  day  when  every 
laboring  man  would  have  a  good  pig  in  his  sty." 

Mr.  Baldwin's  experience  is  the  more  valuable,  as  he 
seems  to  keep  pigs  to  sell  to  the  butcher,  or  to  those  who 
intended  to  fatten  them.  His  success  is  not  due  to  selling 
thorough-bred  pigs  at  high  prices  for  breeding  purposes. 

A  Yorkshire  farmer,  who  occupies  280  acres  of  land, 
half  under  plow,  and  half  in  grass,  and  who  raises  and 
feeds  a  large  number  of  the  small  Yorkshire  and  Cum- 
berland breed  of  pigs,  writes  Mr.  Sidney  as  follows: 

"  I  am  a  farmer,  and  I  keep  pigs  for  profit,  and  I  have 
no  stock  that  pays  like  them ;  but  I  have  found  a  surpris- 


186  HARRIS    ON   THE    PIG. 

ing  difference  in  the  feeding  qualities  of  the  different 
breeds,  and  I  am  not  astonished  at  farmers  saying  pigs 
will  not  pay.  I  think  the  medium  size  pay  better  than 
the  large  bacon  hogs.  For  eleven  years  I  have  kept  an 
account  of  all  my  pigs  cost,  and  what  I  sell,  and  at  the 
year's  end  I  know  the  truth.  *  *  I  spend  $3,500  a 
year  for  purchased  food,  but  little  on  any  manure,  except 
lime  and  salt.  I  make  all  the  manure  I  can,  and  make  it 
good.  I  calculate  I  get  my  pig  manure  free,  but  not  my 
cattle  manure.  For  the  first  fortnight  the  little  pigs  live 
upon  the  sow's  milk.  Then  they  will  begin  to  eat  a  little 
dry  wheat.  As  soon  as  they  begin  to  eat  freely,  have  a 
place  where  they  can  creep  to  feed,  where  the  sow 'cannot 
get  at  their  meat ;  and  feed  them  separately,  twice  a  day, 
with  milk,  meal,  and  bran,  and  once  a  day  with  dry  wheat. 
But  beware  of  over-feeding  them,  or  any  young  animals. 
At  six  weeks  old,  the  boar  pigs  are  usually  castrated,  and 
at  eight  weeks  old,  the  litter  may  be  weaned  by  taking 
away  the  sow  by  degrees.  But  if  the  sow  is  not  wanted 
to  breed  again  directly,  and  you  want  to  forward  your 
pigs,  it  is  a  good  plan  to  let  them  be  with  the  sow,  at 
night  only,  until  they  are  twelve  weeks  old,  and  then  they 
ought  to  be  in  very  good  condition. 

"  After  twelve  weeks,  the  treatment  will  depend  upon 
what  they  are  wanted  for.  If  to  be  made  the  best  of, 
feed  them  for  the  next  twelve  weeks  on  boiled  meal,  vege- 
tables, and  a  little  bran — two  feeds  a  day — keeping  about 
six  together  in  a  sty,  warm,  and  well  bedded.  Keep 
them  on  cooked  food,  and  a  little  meal  every  day,  until 
within  six  weeks  of  being  killed,  when  they  should  have 
as  much  barley-meal  and  water  as  they  can  eat.  It  is  a 
waste  of  money  to  give  them  raw  meal  all  the  time,  but 
they  should  always  be  gaining  until  the  slaughtering  day 
— to  go  back  is  a  loss." 

It  would  seem  that  the  plan  this  farmer  adopts,  or  at 
least  that  which  he  considers  best,  varying  in  practice 


ENGLISH    EXPERIENCE    IN   PIG   FEEDING.  187 

probably  with  the  demand  for  fresh  pork,  is  to  push  his 
pigs  forward  as  rapidly  as  possible,  ^and  sell  them  when 
six  months  old.  And  this  is  the  system  which,  in  the 
neighborhood  of  our  large  cities,  we  believe,  will  be  found 
the  most  profitable  in  the  United  States.  For  this  pur- 
pose we  unquestionably  require  pigs  of  some  of  the  small 
breeds,  that  will  mature  early. 

A  dairy  farmer,  who  keeps  Berkshire  pigs,  says :  "  My 
stores,  farrowed  in  March,  are  fatted  off  by  December, 
making  from  ten  to  twelve  score,  although  I  have  often 
had  them  much  heavier.  Pigs  of  this  weight  are  always 
more  salable  in  the  London  Newgate  Market,  at  sixpence 
or  a  shilling  a  score  more  than  heavier  ones.  I  have 
grown  a  pig  of  the  Berkshire  breed  over  40  score  (800  Ibs). 

"  Second  litters,  coming  in  about  December,  at  three 
months  old,  will  do  for  pork.  The  sow  will  then  be  in 
again  in  March  or  April. 

"  The  whey  runs  from  my  dairy  into  a  vault  near  the 
piggery,  in  which  I  have  large  bins  to  mix  the  whey  and 
meal  together,  allowing  it  to  ferment  for  three  days  before 
using  it.  If  I  am  well  off  for  roots,  I  have  a  good  quan- 
tity pressed,  steamed,  and  minced  with  whey  and  barley- 
meal.  In  the  winter,  a  few  beans  or  lentils,  ground.  If 
convenient,  give  warm  food.  Have  not  more  than  six 
pigs  together.  Warm  sties,  clean,  and  the  pigs  well 
groomed  with  brush  and  linseed  oil,  which  will  cleanse 
the  skin,  and  kill  the  lice  with  which  they  are  often  an- 
noyed." 

Another  pig  feeder  recommends  pulping  roots,  leaving 
them  to  ferment  for  thirty-six  hours,  and  then  mixing  the 
pulp,  by  alternate  spadefuls,  with  meal.  This  he  thinks 
as  good  as  cooking,  and  much  cheaper. 

He  does  not  mention  the  kind  of  roots  used,  but  man- 
gel wurzel,  beets,  and  parsnips,  are  best  adapted  to  our 
climate  and  circumstances.  With  rich  land,  and  good 
culture,  a  large  amount  of  nutritious  food  can  be  obtained 


188  HARRIS    ON   THE    PIG. 

per  acre,  and  feeding  them  out  to  pigs,  with  meal,  will 
make  very  rich  manure,  and  thus  we  obtain  the  means  to 
raise  more  food,  and  keep  on  increasing  the  productive- 
ness of  the  land. 

A  Yorkshire  pig  breeder  says  :  "  I  have  had  a  great, 
many  York-Cumberland  pigs  that  gained — 

7  Ibs.  each,  per  week,  up  to  ten  weeks  old. 
10  Ibs.  per  week  for  the  next  seven  weeks. 
14  Ibs.  per  week  until  they  weighed  23  stone. 

"  I  can  put  on  18  Ibs.  a  week  until  a  certain  time,  and 
then  they  begin  to  put  on  less  and  less  every  day,  until 
at  last  you  feed  at  a  loss.  The  pig  should  be  killed  when 
the  point  of  profit  for  daily  food  is  turned.  For  this 
reason  the  pig  should  be  weighed  weekly. 

"  After  trying  nearly  all  the  different  kinds  of  cereals, 
and  weighing  my  pigs  once  every  fourteen  days,  I  have 
come  to  the  conclusion,  if  you  want  to  gain  weight  fast, 
give  plenty  of  barley-meal  and  milk ;  if  you  want  to 
make  the  most  of  the  food  consumed,  give  boiled  vegeta- 
bles and  boiled  meal,  and  finish  off  with  raw  meal. 

"  On  the  first  plan,  time  is  saved  at  the  expense  of  food 
consumed.  On  the  second  plan,  time  is  lost,  and  the 
food  saved." 

If  by  "food  "  is  meant  meal,  the  statement  is  probably 
correct ;  but  that  we  ever  save  food,  absolutely,  by  feed- 
ing slowly,  is  a  proposition  that  has  never  been  proved, 
and  is  contrary  to  sound  theory  and  the  general  experi- 
ence of  the  best  feeders.  A  fattening  animal  should  cer- 
tainly have  all  the  food  it  can  digest  and  assimilate.  To 
keep  him  on  short  allowance  is  to  waste  both  time  and 
food. 

Another  correspondent  of  Mr.  Sidney  writes :  u  With 
tolerably  good  land,  and  no  lack  of  capital,  a  farmer  can- 
not do  better  than  cultivate  white  crops  alternately,  and, 
with  a  moderate  dairy,  confine  his  stock  exclusively  to 
pigs.  Let  him  consume  his  oats,  sell  off  both  wheat  and 


ENGLISH    EXPERIENCE   IN   PIG    FEEDING.  180 

barley,  and  buy  Indian  com  and  bran.  Indian  corn  is 
about  the  same  price  as  barley,  but  sixty,  instead  of  fifty- 
two  pounds  to  the  bushel.  A  bushel  of  barley-meal  is 
generally  supposed  to  add  10  Ibs.  to  the  weight  of  a  pig. 
I  have  found,  in  my  latest  experiments,  that  a  bushel  of 
Indian  corn  produced  an  increased  weight  to  a  pig  of 
15  Ibs. 

"  Indian  corn,"  says  Dr.  Yoelcker,  "  is  richer  in  fat- 
forming  matters  than  almost  any  other  description  of 
food.  The  ready-made  fat  in  corn  amounts  to  from  five 
and  a  half  to  six  per  cent.  But  animals  should  not  be 
fed  exclusively  on  Indian  corn,  because  the  flesh-forming 
matter  in  it  is  small.  Bean-meal  [or  pea-meal]  supplies 
the  deficiency.  Five  pounds  of  Indian  corn,  ground  or 
crushed,  to  one  pound  of  bean-meal  [or  pea-meal],  is  a 
mixture  which  contains  the  proportions  of  flesh-forming 
and  fattening  matters  nicely  balanced." 

Another  Yorkshire  farmer  writes  :  "We  are  now  (1860) 
fattening  pigs  on  wheat  costing  $1.20  per  bushel  [in  gold,], 
which,  as  large  bacon  pigs  are  selling  at  12  cents  per 
pound,  leaves  a  handsome  profit  for  fattening,  even  at  the 
present  high  price  of  stores. 

"  But,"  he  adds,  "  the  farmer  who  is  wise,  will  keep 
both  these  profits  in  his  own  hands.  He  will  rear  his  own 
stores,  and  grind  up  his  own  grain  for  feeding  them.  If 
he  wants  pigs  to  pay,  he  does  not  starve  them  for  twelve 
to  eighteen  months,  leaving  them  to  roam  about  the  fields, 
consuming  as  much  food  among  twenty  as  would  feed 
thirty,  rooting  and  turning  over  a  fold-yard  dung  heap  ; 
but  he  finds,  with  the  corn,  that  it  will  cost  him  in  money 
half  its  feeding  value,  and  gets  the  manure  into  the 
bargain. 

u  A  well  managed  pig-feeding  establishment,  near  any 
great  town,  ought  to  pay  in  times  of  low-priced  grain. 
Unlike  beef  and  mutton,  every  inch  of  a  pig  is  in  demand, 
and  the  oiFals  are  sold  at  good  prices  as  dainty  bits." 


190  HARRIS    ON   THE   PIG. 

We  might  quote  much  other  evidence  of  a  like  charac- 
ter, but  the  above  is  sufficient  to  show  that  the  English 
farmers  can  send  to  the  United  States  for  Indian  corn,  pay 
freight,  commission,  and  expenses,  and  then  use  it  at  a 
profit  in  fattening  pigs,  which  are  sold  at  prices  no  higher 
than  the  same  quality  of  pork  brings  in  ]STe\v  York,  Bos- 
ton, or  Philadelphia.  Cannot  we  do  the  same  thing  here  ? 
Let  those  who  undertake  it,  however,  remember  that  the 
demand  is  for  choice,  fine-boned,  well-fatted  pigs,  of  the 
best  quality.  Such  pigs  would  bring  from  three  to  five 
cents  per  pound  more  than  common  hogs,  and  this,  in 
itself,  is  a  large  profit. 


CHAPTER      XX. 

LIVE    AND    DEAD    WEIGHT    OF    PIGS. 

The  three  grade  Essex  pigs  (Nos.  3,  4,  and  5)  in  Dr. 
Miles'  experiments  at  the  Michigan  Agricultural  College, 
previously  alluded  to  (see  page  118),  were  killed  when  31 
weeks  old.  Their  live  and  dressed  weights  were  as  follows : 

Live.  Dressed.  Dressed  to  Live  Weight. 

Per  cent. 

No.  3 135J4  11214  83 

4 156  132  tf  85     nearly. 

5 14514  122  83=£ 

The  live  weight  was  taken  before,  feeding.  For  such 
small  pigs,  this  shows  a  very  high  proportion  of  dressed 
to  live  weight. 

An  Essex  pig,  about  fifteen  months  old,  belonging  to 
the  writer,  weighed,  after  sticking,  445  Ibs.,  and  dressed, 
as  weighed  the  next  day  by  the  butcher,  409  Ibs. — a 
shrinkage  of  only  a  little  over  8  per  cent.  Allowing  10 
Ibs.  for  the  blood,  the  pig  would  have  weighed,  alive,  455 
Ibs.,  and  dressed  nearly  90  per  cent. 


LIVE   AND   DEAD   WEIGHT   OF   PIGS. 


191 


We  have  no  doubt  that  a  highly  refined  pig  of  any  of 
the  small  breeds,  well  fed  during  its  whole  growth,  and 
thoroughly  fattened,  will  shrink  less  than  10  per  cent  on 
its  fasted  live  weight. 

Messrs.  Lawes  and  Gilbert  accurately  ascertained  the 
live  and  dead  weight  of  the  fifty-nine  pigs  on  which  their 
experiments,  previously  alluded  to,  were  made.  The  ac- 
tual, average  live  weight,  after  fasting,  of  the  whole  fifty- 
nine  pigs,  was  2123 14  Ibs.,  and  the  average  dressed  weight, 
176  Ibs.,  5.3  oz.,  or  a  little  over  821 12  per  cent. 

The  following  table  shows  the  actual  average  weight  of 
the  different  parts  of  these  fifty-nine  pigs,  and  in  the 
right-hand  column  we  give  the  per  centage  weights  : 

TABLE   SHOWING  THE   WEIGHT   OP  DIFFERENT   PARTS    OF  A   PIG 
WEIGHING,  ALIVE,  212%  Ibs.     (AVERAGE  OF  59  PIGS.) 


Actual  weight. 

Stomach  and  contents 2  Ibs.,  10.4  oz 

Caulfat 1  "  2.3" 

Small  intestines  and  contents 4  "  8.4" 

Large         "          "         " 8  "  5.7" 

Intestinal  fat 2  "  5.6" 

Heart  and  Aorta 0  9.6" 

Lungs  and  Windpipe 1  9.1  " 

Blood 7  '  10.1  " 

Liver 3  l  4.5 

Gall-bladder  and  contents 0  '  2.1 

Pancreas  (" sweetbread ") 0  '  G.6 

Milt,  or  Spleen  0  '  4.7 

Bladder 0  "  2.5 

Penis 0  "  7.1 

Tongue 1  "  0.2 

Toes 0  "  2.9 

Miscellaneous  trimmings 0  "  8.8 

Total  offal  parts 35  "  4.6 

Carcass... 176  "  5.3 

Loss  by  evaporation,  etc 1  "  2.1 

Live  weight  after  fasting 212  12 


Per  cent. 
1.28 
.54 
2.20 
4.04 
1.06 
0.29 
0.76 
3.63 
1.57 
0.06 
0.19 
0.14 
0.08 
0.21 
0.48 
0.08 
0.26 

16.87 
82.57 
0.56 


100.00 


For  the  sake  of  comparison,  we  may  say  that  the 
average,  of  249  sheep,  killed  at  Rothamstead,  by  Messrs. 
Lawes  and  Gilbert,  was,  fasted  live  weight,  153  Ibs.,  10.2 
oz. ;  Carcass,  91  Ibs.,  I2l\t  oz. ;  Per  centage  of  carcass  to 


192  HARRIS    ON    THE    PIG. 

live  weight,  593 14.     The  sheep  were  Cotswolds,  Leicesters, 
Hampshire  and  Sussex  Downs. 

The  mean  fasted  live  weight  of  16  heifers  and  steers, 
killed  and  slaughtered  at  Rothamstead,  was  1,141  Ibs. ; 
Carcass,  6803 14  Ibs. ;  Per  centage  of  carcass  to  live  weight, 
59.31.  In  other  words — 

A  moderately  fat  heifer  or  steer  will  dress 59}^  per  cent. 

A  moderately  fat  mutton   sheep  will  dress 59%    "       " 

A  moderately  fat  pig  will  dress 82^    "       " 

The  lightest  of  Mr.  Lawes'  lialf-fattened  and  fattened 
pigs  dressed  a  little  less  than  74  per  cent,  and  the  heavi- 
est over  873|4  per  cent. 


CHAPTER    XXI. 

BREEDING    AND    REARING    PIGS. 

The  point  of  first  importance  in  breeding  pigs  is  the 
selection  of  the  boar.  In  raising  thorough-bred  pigs,  of 
course  we  must  have  a  boar  of  the  same  breed  as  the  sow. 
This  remark  may  seem  superfluous,  but  we  have  met  with 
ordinarily  intelligent  men  who  thought  that  a  boar,  de- 
scended from  a  thorough-bred  Cheshire  sow,  got  by  a 
thorough-bred  Chester  White  boar,  was  thorough-bred. 
And  we  have  known  a  farmer  who  put  a  Chester  White 
sow  to  an  Essex  boar,  speak  of  all  the  white  pigs  in  the 
litter  as  Chester  Whites,  and  all  the  black  ones  as  Essex. 
Thorough-breds  must  be  descended  from  thorough-breds, 
and  both  parents  must  be  of  the  same  breed. 

But  in  raising  pigs  for  the  butcher,  we  are  not  confined 
to  any  particular  breed.  Our  selection  of  the  boar  must 
be  made  in  reference  to  whether  the  pigs  are  to  be  fatted 
and  sold  at  a  few  months  old  for  fresh  pork,  or  whether 


BREEDING   AND   BEARING   PIGS.  193 

they  are  to  be  kept  until  they  have  nearly  attained  their 
growth  before  being  fattened.  Reference  must  also  be 
had  as  to  whether  we  wish  large  hogs,  or  smaller  and 
finer  ones  at  a  less  age.  Much,  too,  will  depend  upon 
the  sow  we  wish  to  breed  from. 

Defective  as  the  majority  of  our  pigs  are,  there  are, 
nevertheless,  few  sections  where  we  cannot  find  some 
strong,  vigorous  sows,  of  good  size,  suitable  for  crossing 
with  the  improved  breeds.  This  is  especially  true  where 
the  Chester  County  pigs  have  been  introduced.  "We  could 
not  ask  for  better  sows  to  start  with  than  a  grade  Chester 
County  sow.  It  is  an  easy  matter  to  find  strong,  vigor- 
ous sows,  of  good  size,  in  any  neighborhood  where  the 
Chester  County  or  similar  large  breeds  have  been  intro- 
duced. 

If  a  farmer  wishes  to  keep  hogs  until  they  are  from 
fourteen  to  eighteen  months  old,  letting  them  run  in  the 
barn-yard  the  first  winter,  and  in  a  clover  pasture  and 
stubbles  the  next  summer,  and  to  be  fattened  in  the  fall, 
he  cannot  go  wrong  in  selecting  a  large,  vigorous,  some- 
what coarse  sow,  showing  more  or  less  Chester  County 
blood.  Then  put  her  to  either  an  Essex,  Berkshire,  Suffolk, 
or  Small  or  Medium  Yorkshire  boar.  We  think  it  mat- 
ters comparatively  little  which  of  these  breeds  is  used, 
provided,  always,  that  they  are  good  specimens  of  the 
breed,  and  are  thorough-bred.  Better  pay  five  dollars  for 
the  use  of  a  thorough-bred  than  accept  the  service  of  a 
grade  or  common  boar  for  nothing. 

If  the  sow  has  had  pigs,  say  the  middle  of  March,  they 
may  be  weaned  in  six  weeks ;  and  if  the  so\v  has  been 
properly  fed,  she  will  take  the  boar  in  a  few  days  after 
the  pigs  are  weaned.  We  should  then  get  one  litter  of — 
say  grade  Essex — about  the  first  of  September.  The 
sow,  during  the  summer,  should,  if  possible,  have  the 
run  of  a  clover  pasture ;  and,  if  she  is  not  in  good,  thriving 
condition,  with  this,  and  the  wash  or  milk  from  the  house, 
9 


104  HARRIS    ON  THE  PIG. 

throw  her  two  or  three  ears  of  corn  a  day.  She  should 
not  be  too  fat,  but  there  is  not  one  farmer  in  a  thousand 
who  ever  falls  into  this  error.  Let  her  have  plenty  of 
exercise,  and  if  she  is  fully  half  fat  by  the  time  she  comes 
in,  all  the  better.  If  she  is  a  good  mother,  nearly  all  her 
accumulated  fat  will  find  its  way  to  the  little  ones  in  the 
milk  before  they  are  six  weeks  old. 

For  two  or  three  weeks  before  she  is  expected  to  far- 
row, let  the  sow  be  put  in  a  pen  by  herself  at  night,  so 
that  she  may  become  accustomed  to  it.  She  may  be  al- 
lowed to  run  out  during  the  day,  but  should  always  be 
fed  separately  in  the  pen,  and  in  this  way  she  will  soon 
come  to  regard  the  pen  as  her  own,  and  will  go  in  as  soon 
as  the  door  is  open.  Let  no  harsh  word  be  spoken,  or  a 
kick  or  a  blow,  on  any  provocation,  be  resorted  to. 

The  pen  should  have  a  rail  around  the  side,  about 
six  inches  from  the  floor,  and  eight  or  ten  inches  from  the 
sides  of  the  pen,  so  that  if  she  makes  her  bed  near  the 
sides  of  the  pen,  as  she  almost  invariably  will,  the  rail 
will  afford  a  space  for  the  little  ones  to  slip  under,  and 
thus  prevent  their  being  crushed  against  the  sides  of  the 
pen.  As,  at  this  season,  the  weather  is  warm,  she  will 
need  but  little  straw.  The  better  plan  is  to  put  two  or 
three  times  as  much  straw  as  is  needed  into  the  pen  a 
week  or  ten  days  before  she  is  expected  to  pig.  By  lying 
on  it  she  will  make  it  soft,  and  this  is  very  desirable.  If 
any  of  it  becomes  wet  or  dirty,  remove  it  from  time  to 
time  when  the  sow  is  out.  As  the  time  approaches,  she 
will  select  a  particular  spot,  and  "  make  a  bed."  When 
she  is  eating,  or  out  of  the  pen,  examine  the  bed,  and  see 
that  the  sides  are  not  too  hard,  or  compacted  together  too 
closely,  and  that  they  are  not  more  than  four  or  five 
inches  high ;  if  so,  remove  a  little  of  the  straw.  It  is 
better  to  have  too  little  than  too  much.  After  this,  the 
sow  should  be  left  to  herself.  With  gentle  thorough- 
breds, that  are  accustomed  to  being  petted,  we  keep  a 


BREEDING   AND   EEAEING   PIGS.  195 

close  watch  during  such  an  interesting  event,  rendering 
assistance  if  necessary;  but,  as  a  rule,  and  especially 
with  common  pigs,  it  is  far  better  to  trust  to  nature, 
and  let  things  take  their  course.  At  this  season  of 
the  year,  especially  if  the  sow  has  had  the  run  of  a 
pasture,  and  is  in  a  thrifty  condition,  there  will  seldom 
be  any  trouble.  The  little  pigs  will  come  strong,  and 
commence  to  suck  in  a  minute  or  two  after  they  are  born. 
On  no  account  disturb  the  sow  until  all  is  over.  This 
may  be  two  hours,  and  sometimes  longer.  Do  not  be  in 
any  hurry  to  feed  her.  But  when  she  gets  up,  let  her 
have  all  the  milk  or  slop  that  she  will  drink.  It  is  better 
to  watch  her,  and  keep  pouring  it  into  the  trough  as  long 
as  she  will  drink  it  up  clean.  Let  her  have  all  she  can 
drink,  but  leave  none  in  the  trough.  We  are  aware  that 
these  directions  are  not  in  accordance  with  the  general 
rules  on  this  subject.  There  are  those  who  think  that  the 
sow  should  be  kept  on  short  allowance,  so  that  she  may 
be  wide-awake,  and  quick  to  hear  the  scream  of  any  of 
the  little  ones  she  may  be  lying  on.  This  is  all  very  well, 
but  the  chief  danger  occurs  from  the  sow  getting  up  and 
lying  down  again ;  and  if  she  has  a  good  meal,  and  eats 
it  all  up  clean,  she  will  be  more  likely  to  lie  still  during 
the  night  than  if  she  is  hungry.  After  she  has  eaten,  and 
when  she  goes  back  to  her  bed,  you  will  be  there  to  hear 
if  she  lies  on  any  of  the  pigs,  and  can  go  to  the  rescue. 
When  she  has  once  lain  down,  there  is  little  danger  until 
she  gets  up  again.  If  all  goes  well  for  the  first  two 
nights,  there  will  rarely  be  any  loss  or  trouble  afterwards. 
Give  the  sow  all  the  milk  or  slops  she  will  drink,  but  little 
or  no  grain  for  the  first  week  or  ten  days.  If  the  little  pigs 
scour,  change  the  food  of  the  sow.  There  is  nothing  bet- 
ter for  her  than  skimmed  milk,  not  too  sour,  and  the  next 
best  thing  is  two  quarts  of  fine  middlings,  scalded  with  two 
or  three  quarts  of  boiling  water,  and  the  pail  afterwards 
filled  up  with  water  sufficient  to  cool  it  to  the  temperature 


19G  HARRIS    ON   THE  PIG. 

of  new  milk.  And  here  we  may  say  that  some  men  do  not 
seem  to  know  how  to  scald  bran  or  meal  properly.  We  have 
seen  them  put  the  meal  in  the  pail  and  pour  on  the  water, 
and  then  fill  up  with  cold  water  at  once,  and  without  pre- 
vious stirring.  The  proper  way  is  to  put — say  two  quarts  of 
the  bran  or  meal  into  the  pail,  pour  on  the  boiling  water, 
and  stir  it  up  until  every  particle  is  wet  or  moistened ; 
and  the  longer  it  remains  before  the  cold  water  is  added, 
the  better.  The  object  is  to  soften  and  cook  it,  and  make 
it  more  easily  digestible.  When  properly  prepared,  it 
should  look  like  fresh  milk.  Do  not  say  that  the  pigs 
will  not  pay  for  all  this  trouble.  It  is  a  great  mistake.  In 
the  first  place,  it  is  very  little  trouble,  and  in  the  second, 
the  future  growth  of  the  pigs  depends  very  much  on  their 
being  well  cared  for  while  young. 

When  the  pigs  are  two  weeks  old,  a  little  shallow 
trough  should  be  made  for  them.  Nothing  is  better  for 
this  purpose  than  three  or  four  feet  of  a  tin  eaves  trough, 
turned  up  at  the  ends.  Nail  it  to  the  floor,  so  that  the 
pigs  will  not  upset  it ;  and,  if  possible,  put  it  where  the 
sow  cannot  get  at  it.  Then  put  in  half  a  pint  or  so  of 
sweet  milk.  Let  them  drink  and  waste  what  they  will 
of  it,  but  always  clean  it  out  before  fresh  food  is  added. 
Try  to  teach  them  early  to  eat  their  meals  promptly,  and 
then  lie  down  to  sleep.  Give  them  a  small  handful  of  oats, 
or,  better  still,  three  or  four  tablespoonfuls  of  oat-meal,  in- 
creasing the  quantity  daily,  but  never  giving  more  than 
they  will  eat  up  clean.  If  fed  too  much  at  one  time,  and 
too  little  at  others,  it  will  produce  scours,  and  retard  the 
growth  of  the  pigs.  At  three  weeks  old,  a  litter  of  eight 
or  ten  pigs  will  eat  a  quart  of  good  oats  four  times  a  day. 
They  seem  particularly  fond  of  cracking  the  oats  and  eat- 
ing out  the  kernels. 

After  the  first  week  or  ten  days  the  sow  should  have 
richer  food — say  two  quarts  of  fine  middlings,  and  a  quart 
of  oat  or  corn-meal,  three  times  a  day.  Let  her  have  all 


BREEDING    AND   REARING   TIGS.  197 

she  will  eat,  and  in  a  week  or  ten  days  later,  give  richer 
food.  Boiled  barley  is  excellent,  hut  it  is  better  to  vary 
the  food,  so  as  to  induce  the  sow  to  eat  more.  We  often 
throw  our  sows  an  ear  or  two  of  corn  after  they  have 
eaten  their  regular  meal.  The  more  food  the  sow  can  be 
induced  to  eat,  the  richer  will  be  the  milk,  and  the  more 
rapidly  will  the  little  pigs  grow. 

When  about  six  weeks  old,  the  pigs  should  be  altered. 
Do  not  be  tempted  to  reserve  one  of  them  for  a  boar. 
No  matter  how  handsome  and  well  formed  he  may  be,  it 
is  absolute  folly  to  use  him  for  breeding  purposes.  Select 
out  one  or  two  of  the  best  sows,  but  alter  all  the  boars. 
The  sow  pigs  will  grow  and  fatten  more  rapidly  if  spayed, 
but  it  is  not  often,  in  this  country,  that  we  can  find  men 
who  are  able  to  perform  the  operation  with  safety.  Where 
there  are  such,  all  the  sow  pigs  not  intended  for  breeders 
should  be  spayed  a  week  or  ten  days  before  weaning. 
There  is  nothing  better  to  apply  to  the  wound  than  pe- 
troleum— not  kerosene — but  the  crude  oil. 

The  time  of  weaning  will  depend  on  the  time  when  it 
is  desired  to  have  the  next  litter  of  pigs.  If  the  sow  is 
in  good  condition,  she  will  take  the  boar  in  a  week  or  two 
after  the  pigs  are  weaned.  And  if  the  sow  and  pigs  are 
well  fed,  the  pigs  may  be  allowed  to  remain  with  the  sow 
until  ten  weeks  or  three  months  old,  if  there  is  time 
enough  for  the  next  litter,  and  the  sow  is  strong  enough 
to  stand  the  drain  on  her  constitution.  If  she  is  not 
strong,  wean  the  pigs  when  six  weeks  or  two  months  old. 

It  is  better  not  to  remove  all  the  pigs  at  once ;  or,  if 
this  is  done,  let  them  return  to  the  sow  for  a  few  minutes 
at  the  expiration  of  twelve  hours,  and  again  at  the  expira- 
tion of  twenty-four  hours.  We  prefer,  however,  to  let 
one  or  two  of  the  weaker  pigs  remain  with  the  sow  for  a 
week  or  so  after  the  others  are  removed. 

At  the  time  of  weaning,  the  pigs  should  have  extra  at- 
tention. Feed  them  five  times  a  day — the  first  thing  in 


193  HARRIS    ON   THE    PIG. 

the  morning,  and  the  last  at  niglit.  If  they  have  all  they 
can  eat,  they  will  not  pine  for  the  mother.  Nothing  is  so 
good  for  them  as  milk.  A  little  flax-seed  tea,  oat-meal 
gruel,  or  corn-meal  gruel,  mixed  with  the  milk,  or  given 
separately,  will  be  good,  and  acceptable.  As  the  weather, 
by  this  time,  is  getting  cold,  it  will  be  well  to  give  warm 
food.  But  guard  against  giving  it  too  hot.  It  should  not 
be  warmer  than  new  milk. 

There  is,  perhaps,  nothing  better  for  the  pigs  than  corn 
pudding  and  milk.  Put  two  quarts  of  corn-meal  into  a 
pail,  and  pour  on  two  or  three  quarts  of  boiling  water, 
and  stir  it  until  all  the  meal  is  wet,  then  fill  up  the  pail 
with  milk.  But  be  very  careful  that  the  scalded  meal  is 
all  mixed  with  the  milk.  It  often  happens  that  there  will 
be  lumps  of  meal  hot  enough  to  scald,  although  the  milk 
surrounding  it  is  only  warm.  Such  lumps  should  be 
broken  up  and  mixed  with  the  milk  before  feeding  to  the 
little  pigs. 

We  need  hardly  add  that  all  pigs  should  be  allowed  a 
constant  supply  of  fresh  water.  There  are  few  things  of 
more  importance  in  the  management  of  pigs. 

Let  the  pen  be  warm,  clean,  and  well  ventilated,  but 
with  no  cracks  for  the  wind  to  blow  through  on  to  the 
pigs.  And,  above  all,  let  the  pen  and  bedding  be  dry. 
There  should  always  be  litter  enough  for  the  pigs  to  bury 
themselves  in.  Warmth,  to  a  certain  extent,  is  equiva- 
lent to  food,  and,  what  is  of  more  importance  than  the 
saving  of  the  food,  it  saves  digestion.  Let  the  pigs  have 
all  the  exercise  they  wish,  and  then  do  not  be  afraid  that 
warm,  dry,  clean,  and  comfortable  quarters,  with  abund- 
ance of  wholesome  food,  will  make  them  tender.  We  are 
aware  that  this  is  a  common  idea,  but  it  is  an  erroneous 
one.  A  cold  wind  or  storm,  that  will  send  a  half-starved 
and  neglected  pig  squealing  around  the  barn-yard,  with 
hair  on  end,  head  down,  and  back  up,  will  have  no  effect 
on  pigs  treated  as  we  have  recommended.  And  there  is 


BREEDING   AND    BEARING   PIGS.  190 

nothing  more  important  than  to  have  young  pigs  in  a 
healthy,vigorous,  almost  fat  condition,  before  winter  sets  in. 

The  pigs  are  now  three  months  old,  and  should  weigh 
75  Ibs.  to  80  Ibs.  each.  We  have  had  grade  Essex  and 
Berkshires  (which  are  not  as  large  as  grade  Essex  and 
Chester  Whites)  that  weighed  88  Ibs,  when  three  months 
and  four  days  old, — And  it  should  be  remembered  that, 
during  two  months  of  the  time,  the  pigs  get  most  of 
their  food  from  the  sow  ;  and  during  the  next  month,  they 
eat  far  less  food  than  older  pigs. 

During  the  winter,  the  pigs  may  be  allowed  the  run  of 
the  barn-yard,  to  pick  up  what  they  can  find.  If  the  cat- 
tle are  fed  grain  or  oil-cake,  a  certain  number  of  pigs  will 
keep  in  good  condition  on  the  droppings  of  the  cattle,  and 
on  food  which  would  otherwise  be  wasted.  Let  the  young 
pigs,  however,  have  a  separate  pen  from  the  old  ones,  and 
see  to  it  that  they  have  enough  food  to  keep  them  in  good 
condition.  By  throwing  them  an  ear  or  two  of  corn  in 
the  pen,  they  will  soon  learn  to  be  ready  at  the  appoint- 
ed time  to  enter  the  pen  for  the  night,  without  trouble. 
On  no  account  let  them  go  to  bed  hungry.  Let  their 
stomachs  be  well  filled — say  at  five  o'clock  in  the  evening 
— and  they  will  sleep  quietly  until  eight  o'clock  the  next 
morning.  In  fact,  a  well-bred  and  well-fed  pig  will  sleep 
three-fourths  of  his  time,  during  the  winter.  If  not  dis- 
turbed, and  tempted  with  fattening  food,  he  will  eat  little 
and  gain  little.  And  sometimes,  like  other  hibernating 
animals,  he  will  live  on  his  own  fat. 

As  spring  approaches,  the  young  pigs  will  need  more 
food,  and  fortunate  is  that  farmer  who  has  a  liberal 
supply  of  parsnips,  sugar-beets,  or  mangel  wurzel  for 
them.  These  roots,  pulped  or  rasped  in  a  cider-mill,  mixed 
with  a  little  corn-meal,  are  a  cheap  and  excellent  food  for 
pigs  in  the  spring.  But,  whatever  the  feed,  let  the  pigs 
have  all  they  need  to  keep  them  in  a  good,  thriving  con- 
dition. 


200  HAKKIS    ON  THE   PIG. 

As  soon  as  the  clover  is  fairly  growing,  the  pigs  should 
have  the  run  of  the  clover  pasture.  They  will  get  three- 
fourths  of  their  food  in  the  pasture,  and  we  need  hardly 
say  that,  where  clover  grows  as  abundantly  as  it  does  with 
us,  it  is  the  cheapest  food  that  can  be  fed  to  a  pig.  With 
clover,  and  the  slops  from  the  house  and  dairy,  the  pigs 
will  keep  in  a  thriving  condition,  but  it  is  a  waste  of  time 
and  food  to  depend  on  this  alone,  with  pigs  intended  for 
the  butcher.  If  fed  from  a  pint  to  a  quart  of  corn,  or 
corn-meal,  a  day,  they  will  eat  just  as  much  clover,  and 
will  grow  nearly  as  fast  again.  After  harvest,  they  will 
pick  up  considerable  food  on  the  grain  stubbles ;  but  if 
as  fat  as  they  should  be  by  this  time,  stubble  gleaning 
can  be  more  profitably  left  to  the  breeding  stock  and 
spring  pigs. 

By  the  first  of  November,  such  pigs  as  we  have  de- 
scribed, fed  as  here  recommended,  should  be  in  prime 
order  for  the  butcher,  and  can  be  sold  at  any  time  when 
the  price  is  satisfactory. 

They  should  average  400  Ibs.,  dressed  weight.  The 
pork  is  of  the  highest  quality,  and  the  lard  keeps  firm 
and  hard  during  the  hottest  weather  in  summer,  and 
makes  excellent  pastry. 

BEARING   AND   MANAGEMENT    OF   SPRING   PIGS. 

Spring  pigs,  intended  to  be  fattened  and  sold  when 
about  nine  months  old,  should  come  early  in  the  spring, 
and  should  have  the  best  of  care  and  feed.  A  warm,  dry 
pen,  is  absolutely  essential.  Thousands  of  pigs  are  lost 
every  spring  for  want  of  a  little  forethought  in  making 
the  pen  ready  for  the  sow  to  litter  in.  In  a  properly  con- 
structed pen  there  is  little  to  be  done,  except  to  clean  it 
out  a  week  or  ten  days  before  the  time  the  sow  is  expect- 
ed to  pig,  and  provide  a  liberal  allowance  of  dry  straw. 
It  is  not  well  to  have  too  much  straw  in  the  pen  at  the 


BREEDING    AND    REARING   PIGS.  201 

time  of  pigging;  but,  as  already  explained,  straw  which 
has  been  in  the  pen  for  a  week  or  so  is  softer  and  better 
than  fresh  straw.  We  would  place  straw  in  the  sleeping 
apartment  to  the  deptli  of  afoot,  and  then  remove  the  wet 
or  soiled  portions  daily  until,  by  the  time  the  sow  pigged, 
there  would  not  be  more  than  is  needed  to  keep  the 
mother  and  little  ones  warm.  Two  or  three  inches  of 
soft  straw  on  the  bottom  of  the  pen,  under  the  sow,  will 
be  trod  firm,  and  act  as  a  non-conductor  of  heat,  and  will 
not  increase  the  danger  of  the  sow  lying  on  the  pigs.  The 
danger  arises  from  having  too  much  loose  straw  in  the 
pen,  and  from  having  the  sides  of  the  bed  too  high  and 
firm. 

It  often  happens  that  the  pen  in  which  the  sow  is  placed 
is  ill-adapted  for  the  purpose.  In  this  case,  some  tem- 
porary expedient  for  keeping  out  the  cold  winds  must  be 
resorted  to.  If  nothing  better  can  be  done,  every  hole 
and  crevice  can  at  least  be  stopped  with  straw.  The 
principal  danger  is  during  the  first  few  hours  after  the 
pigs  are  born.  If  they  can  be  kept  warm  and  safe  for 
two  or  three  days,  there  is  little  danger  of  losing  them. 
But  for  health  and  thrift,  it  is  very  desirable  that  they 
never  be  exposed  to  cold  storms ;  and  what  is  of  even 
still  greater  importance,  the  pen  must  always  be  dry. 

We  would  again  endeavor  to  impress  on  our  readers 
the  importance  of  attending  to  these  matters  in  advance. 
Few  things  are  more  vexatious  than  to  lose  a  nice  litter 
of  pigs  for  want  of  half  an  hour's  time  in  making  the 
pen  dry,  warm,  and  comfortable.  If  we  lose  a  calf,  we 
have  still  the  milk  of  the  cow,  but  if  we  lose  a  litter  of 
pigs,  there  is  no  compensation.  It  is  a  dead  loss  of  what 
the  pigs  would  have  been  worth  when  a  month  old. 

We  have  said  that  for  fall  pigs,  to  be  kept  fourteen  or 

fifteen  months  before    killing,  there  are  no  better  pigs 

than  those  obtained  from  a  Chester  White  sow,  put  to  a 

thorough-bred  Essex,  Berkshire,  or  Small  Yorkshire  (Suf- 

9* 


202  HARRIS    ON   THE    PIG. 

folk)  boar.  But  for  spring  pigs  we  need  a  little  more  re- 
finement. They  should  be  three-quarters  Essex,  Berkshire, 
or  some  other  fine  breed — that  is  to  say,  a  sow  from  the 
first  cross  of  Essex  and  Chester  White  should  be  put  to 
an  Essex  or  Berkshire  boar.  This  would  give  a  highly 
refined,  small-boned  pig,  that  would  mature  early,  and 
fatten  rapidly.  During  the  summer,  however,  they  will 
require  better  food  than  the  older  and  stronger  pigs. 
They  should  have  the  run  of  a  clover  pasture,  but 
should  be  favored  in  the  distribution  of  the  milk,  and 
should  have,  in  addition,  sufficient  grain  of  some  kind  to 
keep  them  fat  enough  for  fresh  pork  at  all  times. 

It  often  happens  that  the  most  profitable  way  of  dis- 
posing of  such  spring  pigs  as  here  described,  is  to  sell 
them  when  three,  four,  five,  or  six  months  old  for  fresh 
pork.  We  have  sometimes  thought  that  butchers  do  not 
make  sufficient  difference  in  the  price  of  such  pigs  as 
compared  with  common  pigs.  In  fact,  butchers  have 
said  to  us :  "  All  that  you  say  is  true.  These  pigs  make 
splendid  pork,  but  our  customers  will  pay  no  more  for  it 
than  for  common  pork,  with  half  as  much  again  bone  in 
it."  The  truth  of  the  matter  seems  to  be  this :  There  is 
not  enough  of  such  pork  sent  to  market  to  establish  the 
grade.  Few  people  know  that  there  is  as  much  difference 
between  the  pork  from  a  four-months-old,  well-bred,  and 
well-fed  pig,  as  compared  with  an  ^ight-months-old,  ill- 
bred,  and  ill-fed  pig,  as  there  is  between  a  sirloin  and  a 
round  steak.  In  Boston,  a  sirloin  steak  is  now  (March, 
1870)  quoted  at  36  cents  and  38  cents  per  pound,  and  a 
round  steak  at  20  cents  and  25  cents ;  chuck  rib  at  12 
cents  and  15  cents,  and  soup  pieces  at  5  cents  and  8  cents 
per  pound.  Here  is  certainly  difference  enough  to  stimu- 
late us  to  improve  the  form  of  our  animals.  Let  farmers 
furnish  good  fresh  pork,  and  there  will  be  found  those  wlio 
are  willing  to  pay  a  liberal  price  for  it.  At  any  rate,  if  the 
pigs  are  kept  in  high  condition,  they  will  be  ready  at  all 


MANAGEMENT   OF  THOROUGH-BRED   PIGS.  £03 

times  for  the  butcher;  and  if  the  price  is  suitable,  they 
can  be  disposed  of,  and  if  not,  they  can  be  kept  until  nine 
or  ten  months  old,  and  sold  for  fat  pork.  Spring  pigs 
should  never  be  kept  on  short  allowance.  It  is  almost 
impossible  to  keep  them  too  fat.  To  keep  them  in  a  half- 
starved  condition  until  the  corn  crop  is  ripe,  and  then  shut 
them  up  to  fatten,  is  a  very  expensive  way  of  making 
pork.  We  have  known  a  lot  of  spring  pigs  kept  in  this 
way,  by  a  farmer  who  seemed  to  fear  that,  if  he  fed  a  lit- 
tle corn  during  the  summer,  his  pigs  would  not  "  grow," 
that  were  shut  up  to  fatten  in  October,  and  fed  soft  corn 
at  first,  and  afterwards  sound  corn  in  the  ear,  all  they 
would  eat,  that  did  not,  when  killed  in  December,  average 
100  Ibs.  each,  dressed  weight.  A  well-bred  pig  of  the 
same  age,  well-fed  from  the  day  he  was  born,  (and  before,) 
would  have  dressed  300  Ibs. 


CHAPTER    XXII. 

MANAGEMENT    OF    THOROUGH-BRED    PIGS. 

The  first  object  in  the  management  of  thorough-bred 
pigs  is  to  secure  perfect  health.  If  any  animal  manifests 
the  slightest  tendency  to  disease  of  any  kind,  it  must  be 
rigorously  rejected.  Moreover,  if  in  a  litter  of  pigs  there 
are  any  defective  animals,  we  would  fatten  the  sow  and 
dispose  of  her.  It  is  not  safe  to  breed  from  her.  And  if 
the  same  defect  manifests  itself  in  the  litters  of  other 
sows,  bred  to  the  same  boar,  it  is  pretty  conclusive  evi- 
dence that  the  boar  is  not  perfectly  sound,  and  he  should 
be  at  once  rejected.  No  matter  how  apparently  healthy 
the  parents  may  be,  if  there  is  any  tendency  to  disease,  or 
defects  in  form  in  the  offspring,  the  probabilities  are,  that 


204  HARRIS    OX   THE    PIG. 

there  is  some  latent  disease  in  the  parents ;  and  even 
though  we  breed  from  none  of  their  offspring  but  those 
apparently  sound,  yet  we  are  never  sure  that  the  disease 
will  not  manifest  itself  in  the  next  generation. 

Next  to  health,  the  digestive  and  assimilating  power 
of  a  thorough-bred  pig  is  of  the  greatest  importance. 
Without  good  digestion,  rapid  growth  is  impossible.  The 
pig  must  have  a  stomach  capable  of  extracting  the  nutri- 
ment from  a  large  amount  of  food,  and  the  process  of  as- 
similation must  proceed  with  equal  rapidity.  These 
qualities  are,  in  a  good  degree,  under  our  control.  In  a 
thoroughly  established  breed,  "  like  begets  like,"  not  only 
in  form  and  color,  but  also  in  those  qualities  which  deter- 
mine rapid  growth,  early  maturity,  and  a  disposition  to 
fatten  easily.  Check  the  growth  of  a  young  boar  and 
sow  by  keeping  them  in  cold,  wet  pens,  on  short  allow- 
ance, and,  though  they  themselves  may  afterwards  appar- 
ently recover  from  feuch  treatment,  the  evil  effects  will  be 
seen  in  their  offspring.  They  may  be  perfect  in  form, 
but  they  will  not  possess  the  maximum  capacity  of  growth 
and  fattening  qualities.  In  the  management  of  thorough- 
bred pigs,  this  idea  must  never  be  absent  from  the  breed- 
er's mind.  So  far  as  is  consistent  with  health,  the  young 
pigs  must  be  daily  kept  in  such  a  way  as  to  secure  a  rapid 
growth.  All  thoughts  of  "  hardening"  them  by  exposure 
to  cold  storms  must  be  abandoned.  All  attempts  at  starv- 
ing them,  in  hopes  of  making  them  more  healthy  and 
vigorous,  must  be  given  up— first,  because  it  will  not  ac- 
complish the  object,  and  secondly,  because  if  it  would,  we 
should  lose  one  of  the  first  objects  we  have  in  getting 
an  improved  breed  of  pigs — the  capacity  of  converting  a 
large  amount  of  food  into  flesh  and  fat. 

It  has  been  supposed  that  the  success  of  a  breeder  de- 
pends almost  entirely  on  his  judgment  in  selecting  a  male 
adapted  to  correct  any  deficiencies  in  the  form  or  quali- 
ties of  the  females.  But  while  this  is  sometimes  very  im- 


MANAGEMENT    OF   TIIOnOUGH-BRED   PIGS.  205 

portant,  yet  the  real  skill  of  the  breeder  of  thorough-bre<l 
pigs  consists,  in  great  part,  in  his  ability  to  keep  his 
young  pigs  growing  to  their  utmost  capacity,  and,  at  the 
same  time,  keep  them  in  perfect  health,  and  in  good  con- 
dition for  breeding  at  the  proper  age.  Let  no  farmer  ex- 
pect to  succeed  as  a  breeder  of  thorough-bred  pigs  if  he 
leaves  them  to  the  care  of  an  ordinary  hired  man.  He 
must  give  them  his  own  personal  attention.  If  he  objects 
to  this,  if  he  has  no  liking  for  a  refined,  well-bred,  well- 
behaved,  well-formed  pig,  let  him  turn  his  attention  to 
some  other  business.  It  is,  of  course,  not  necessary  that 
the  owner  should  clean  out  the  sties,  or  cook  the  food,  or 
wash  the  pigs,  and  feed  them.  But  he  will  find  it  of 
great  advantage  to  know  how  to  perform  all  these  opera- 
tions. Ordinary  farm  men  have  been  so  accustomed  to 
let  pigs  wallow  in  the  mire,  and  take  care  of  themselves, 
that  it  is  very  difficult  to  get  them  to  realize  the  import- 
ance of  cleanliness,  regularity  in  feeding,  general  kind- 
ness, and  constant  attention.  It  is  not  an  easy  matter  to 
induce  a  common  farm  man  to  groom  a  horse  thoroughly, 
and  it  is  still  more  difficult  to  get  such  a  man  to  clean  a 
pig.  And  yet  a  breeder  of  thorough-bred  pigs  will  find 
few  things  more  important  for  health  and  for  rapid 
growth,  and  for  the  development  of  the  best  points,  than 
washing  in  summer,  and  cleaning  them  with  a  brush  in 
winter. 

An  extensive  range  is  almost  as  important  for  thorough- 
bred pigs  as  it  is  for  poultry,  and  we  think  it  a  mistake 
for  a  breeder  to  keep  more  than  one  breed  on  the  same 
farm.  It  is  not  only  convenient  and  economical  to  let  the 
pigs  run  out  in  a  pasture  during  the  spring,  summer,  and 
autumn,  and  in  the  barn-yard  during  the  winter,  but  it 
is  desirable  for  their  health  and  vigor.  It  is  not  always 
easy  to  accomplish  this  object,  even  when  one  breed  only 
is  kept,  and  it  must  be  still  more  difficult  when  two  or 
three  breeds  are  kept. 


206  HAREIS    OX   THE    PIG. 

To  keep  up  and  improve  the  quality  of  the  stock,  it  is 
absolutely  essential  to  "  weed  out  "  all  that  show  any  ten- 
dency to  deterioration ;  and  on  this  account  it  is  desirable 
to  have  a  good-sized  herd  to  select  the  breeding  stock 
from.  We  must  have  at  least  two  boars  of  each  breed  ; 
and  where  two  or  three  different  breeds  are  kept,  this  is 
no  slight  expense.  We  would,  therefore,  earnestly  recom- 
mend breeders  to  confine  themselves  to  one  breed. 

THE     BOAB. 

A  young  boar  must  never  be  stinted  in  food.  Until  he 
is  a  year  old,  he  should  be  kept  growing  as  rapidly  as 
possible,  consistent  with  health  and  vigor.  But  at  the 
same  time,  he  must  not  be  allowed  to  get  too  fat.  We 
would  let  him  have  all  the  food  he  will  eat.  If  he  gets 
too  fat,  reduce  the  quality,  but  not  the  quantity,  of  the 
food.  It  is  here  that  judgment  and  experience  are  par- 
ticularly important.  A  person  who  has  kept  none  but 
common  pigs  is  very  apt  to  think  that  his  thorough-bred 
boar  is  getting  too  fat.  The  roundness  and  symmetry  of 
the  body,  with  the  comparatively  small  growth  of  bone 
and  oifal  parts,  leads  him  to  suppose  that  the  pig  is  not 
growing  fast  enough.*  This  is  particularly  the  case  with 
the  small  breeds.  He  thinks  they  are  fattening  inside, 
but  are  not  growing  ;  and,  in  order  to  make  him  grow,  or, 
at  all  events,  to  prevent  him  from  getting  too  fat,  he  turns 
him  to  a  straw  stack,  or  shuts  him  up  in  a  pen,  and  feeds 
him  nothing  but  dish-water  and  a  few  potato  parings. 
Nothing  can  be  more  unwise.  If  the  pig  is  getting  too 
fat,  which,  in  the  case  assumed,  is  not  probable,  the  bet- 
ter plan  is  to  turn,  him  into  a  clover  lot,  or  into  a  stubble 
field.  What  he  needs  is  exercise  and  abundance  of  plain 
food.  If  it  is  winter,  let  him  have  less  concentrated  food, 
but  give  him  all  of  it  that  he  will  eat  up  clean,  twice  a 
day.  A  few  boiled  potatoes  and  coarse  bran,  or  bran 


MANAGEMENT    OF   THOROUGH-BKED   PIGS.  207 

alone,  fed  moist,  makes  a  good  winter  diet  in  such  a  case. 
But  so  far  as  our  observation  extends,  where  one  pig  is 
injured  from  over-feeding,  ten  are  stunted  in  growth  from 
want  of  a  regular  and  abundant  supply  of  appropriate 
food. 

At  eight  or  nine  months  old,  a  boar  of  the  small  breeds, 
if  kept  in  the  way  we  have  recommended,  will  have  nearly 
completed  his  growth,  and  may  be  allowed  to  serve  a  few 
sows.  But  be  careful  not  to  let  him  have  so  many  as  to 
reduce  himself  materially  in  flesh,  or  check  his  growth. 
One  service  is  sufficient  for  a  sow,  and  to  allow  more  is  a 
mere  waste  of  the  strength  and  energies  of  the  boar,  and 
is  probably  injurious  to  the  sow.  To  let  a  young  thorough- 
bred boar  serve  a  number  of  common  sows,  at  a  dollar  a 
head,  is  mere  folly.  The  English  breeders  usually  charge 
a  sovereign. 

When  the  boar  has  attained  his  growth,  he  will  not  re- 
quire as  rich  food.  He  should,  however,  have  enough  to 
keep  him  in  perfect  health  and  vigor.  He  should  always 
have  enough  to  fill  his  stomach.  Bran  and  roots,  or 
green  clover,  will  ordinarily  keep  him  in  good  condition. 
But  when  he  is  in  active  service,  he  must  have  richer  food. 
In  regard  to  the  number  of  sows  a  full  grown  boar  should 
be  allowed  to  serve,  it  must  be  remembered  that  the 
proper  season  for  having  the  sows  come  in  is  comparatively 
limited.  From  the  middle  of  October  until  the  first  of 
December  the  boar  is  most  in  demand,  and  at  this  time, 
if  full  grown,  may  be  allowed  to  serve  twenty  or  twenty- 
five  sows,  and  the  same  number  during  the  spring  season. 

If  the  boar  is  a  very  valuable  one,  and  it  is  intended  to 
keep  him  for  several  years,  he  should  be  restricted  to 
fewer  sows — say  eight  or  ten  in  a  season.  On  the  other 
hand,  a  boar  that  we  intend  to  alter  and  fatten  as  soon  as 
the  season  is  over,  may  be  allowed  to  serve  all  the  com- 
mon or  grade  sows  that  his  strength  will  permit — say 
seventy-five  or  eighty  during  three  months. 


208  BARKIS    ON   THE    PIG. 

Usually,  it  is  more  profitable  to  alter  and  fatten  a  boar 
when  three  years  old  than  to  keep  him  longer.  But,  of 
course,  much  depends  on  his  value  and  on  our  ability  to 
replace  him.  Fisher  Hobbs'  celebrated  Essex  boar, 
"  Emperor,"  of  which  we  have  given  a  portrait  on 
page  79,  was  eight  years  old  when  his  picture  was  taken. 
An  animal  of  extraordinary  merit  may  be  kept  as  long  as 
he  gets  good  pigs. 

The  boar's  pen  should  have  a  yard  attached  not  less 
than  ten  or  twelve  feet  square,  and  it  is  better,  always,  to 
turn  the  sows  to  him,  than  to  turn  him  out  to  the  sows. 
If  he  is  sluggish,  it  is  well  to  have  a  strong  door  between 
this  yard  and  the  boar's  sleeping  pen,  so  arranged  that  he 
can  see  the  sow  without  being  able  to  get  at  her  until  the 
door  is  open.  Shut  the  door  between  the  pen  and  the 
yard,  and  then  turn  the  sow  into  the  yard,  and  let  her  re- 
main a  short  time  before  letting  the  boar  out.  The  best 
boar  we  ever  had  was  exceedingly  shy  in  this  matter. 
He  apparently  objected  to  have  strangers  looking  on. 
We  kept  him  for  some  years,  and  by  humoring  his  pecu- 
liarities, he  proved  a  very  useful  animal.  He  always 
showed  most  energy  early  in  the  morning,  before  he  had 
had  his  breakfast.  Some  of  our  neighbors,  who  had  been 
accustomed  to  drive  their  sows  to  common  boars,  that 
would  tear  down  a  pen,  or  push  over  a  fence  to  get  at  a 
sow,  were  disgusted  with  the  dignified  movements  of  tbis 
thorough-bred  boar.  After  waiting  and  watching  a  few 
minutes,  they  would  drive  away  their  sows  to  some  long- 
nosed,  slab-sided  brute,  while  those  who  exercised  a  little 
more  patience,  were  almost  invariably  rewarded  with 
splendid  litters  of  pigs.  The  truth  of  this  matter  is, 
that  good  breeders  increase  the  development  of  the  choice 
parts  of  a  pig  at  the  expense  of  the  offal ;  and  the  ham 
of  a  well-bred  and  well-formed  boar  has  been  enlarged  at 
the  expense  of  some  portion  of  the  contiguous  parts.  We 
have  known  this  carried  to  such  an  extreme,  that  casual 


MANAGEMENT    OF   THOROUGH-BRED   PIGS.  209 

observers  would  suppose  they  were  looking  at  a  barrow- 
pig.  Any  one  who  will  contrast  a  coarse  Chester  County 
boar  with  a  refined  Essex  will  understand  our  meaning. 

THE   sow. 

The  treatment  of  a  sow  until  she  is  eight  or  nine 
months  old  does  not  differ  from  that  of  the  boar.  She 
should  be  well  fed,  and  have  plenty  of  exercise.  If  she 
is  born  in  March,  and  is  kept  growing  rapidly,  and  is  of 
an  early  maturing  breed,  she  may  be  allowed  to  take  the 
boar  in  November,  when  about  eight  months  old.  She 
would  then  have  pigs  in  March,  when  a  year  old.  This 
is  breeding  earlier  than  is  usually  recommended,  but  it 
must  be  remembered  that  wre  are  treating  of  pigs  that 
have  been  bred  almost  exclusively  for  the  purpose  of  rapid 
growth  while  young,  and  for  early  maturity.  If  she  is 
strong  and  healthy,  with  good  digestive  powers,  it  will 
not  hurt  her  to  have  a  litter  of  pigs  at  a  year  old,  and  to 
have  two  litters  a  year  afterwards,  for  two  or  three  years. 
The  breeder,  however,  must  exercise  judgment  in  this 
matter.  It  often  improves  a  sow  wonderfully  to  let  her 
get  a  year  or  fifteen  months  old  before  she  takes  the  boar. 
And  in  the  case  of  late  fall  pigs,  we  should  always  be  in- 
clined to  keep  them  until  the  following  November  before 
they  are  served. 

The  sow,  when  in  pig,  should  be  allowed  abundance 
of  food,  and  as  extensive  a  range  as  possible  until  a  week 
or  ten  days  before  farrowing.  She  should  then  be  placed 
in  her  pen,  and  fed  with  food  similar  to  that  which  it  is  in- 
tended to  give  her  after  she  has  farrowed.  Nothing  can 
be  better  than  skimmed  milk  and  scalded  bran,  with  a 
little  oil-meal,  to  loosen  the  bowels,  if  necessary.  Di- 
rections for  furnishing  the  pen  with  litter,  etc.,  have 
been  already  given,  and  need  not  be  repeated  here.  As, 
however,  a  litter  of  thorough-bred  pigs  are  of  considera- 


210  HARRIS    ON   THE    PIG. 

ble  valuo,  we  would  particularly  urge  that  every  thin  or  be 
provided  in  advance  that  can  insure  their  safety.  We  have 
lost  a  litter  of  ten  pigs  that,  at  ten  weeks  old,  would 
have  brought  us  two  hundred  dollars,  simply  from  neg- 
lecting to  have  the  pen  properly  protected  beforehand 
against  a  severe  storm  which  occurred  the  night  the  sow 
farrowed.  Much  is  said  about  sows  eating  their  young, 
but  where  one  pig  is  lost  in  this  way,  a  hundred  die  from 
damp  pens  and  neglect. 

When  the  sow  is  shut  up  by  herself  in  the  pen,  if  she 
is  uneasy,  it  is  well  to  let  her  out  for  an  hour  or  so  during 
the  forenoon,  letting  her  in  again  for  her  noon  meal,  and 
in  the  course  of  an  hour  or  so,  let  her  out  again,  putting 
her  back  at  feeding  time  for  the  night.  In  this  way  she 
will  soon  become  accustomed  to  the  pen.  It  not  un fre- 
quently happens  that  the  sow,  at  this  period,  is  constipa- 
ted ;  and  if  this  is  the  case,  she  should  be  fed  on  more  suc- 
culent, and  less  concentrated,  food.  We  know  of  nothing 
better  than  bran  mashes,  either  alone,  or  mixed  up  with 
linseed  tea.  If  this  does  not  relieve  the  trouble,  give  an 
injection  of  warm  water,  with  a  little  soap  in  it.  In  ob- 
stinate cases,  put  an  ounce  of  Epsom,  or  two  ounces  of 
Glauber's  salt  in  the  injection.  This  is  generally  better 
than  giving  her  medicine,  even  if  she  would  eat  it  in  her 
food,  which  she  will  seldom  do.  It  is  not  safe  to  attempt 
to  drench  a  sow  at  this  period.  A  careful  attention  to  the 
diet,  with  sufficient  exercise,  will  almost  always  prevent 
this  trouble. 

Our  own  sows  are  so  quiet  that  we  can  do  anything 
with  them.  And  before  they  farrow,  we  are  in  the  habit 
of  handling  them,  rubbing  their  teats,  and  getting  them 
thoroughly  accustomed  to  our  presence  in  the  pen.  If  all 
goes  right,  it  is  best  to  let  the  sow  alone;  and,  in  all 
cases,  it  is  better  to  err  in  giving  too  little  attention  or 
assistance  than  too  much.  If  the  weather  is  very  cold, 
throw  a  blanket  over  the  sow ;  and  as  soon  as  a  little  pig 


MANAGEMENT  OF   THOROUGH-BRED    PIGS.  21 1 

arrives,  rub  him  dry  with  a  little  soft  straw,  and  put  him 
to  the  teats,  under  the  blanket.  Be  careful,  however,  not 
to  break  the  cord  too  close  to  the  navel,  or  it  may  cause 
blood  to  flow,  and  thus  weaken  the  pig.  If  the  sow  has 
been  well  and  properly  fed,  and  is  in  vigorous  condition, 
the  pigs  will  be  strong,  and  will  take  hold  of  the  teats  in 
a  few  minutes.  When  this  is  the  case,  little  danger  of 
loss  is  to  be  apprehended.  If  any  of  the  pigs  are  weak, 
it  often  requires  considerable  care  and  attention  to  save 
them.  The  great  point  is  to  prevent  them  from  becoming 
chilled  and  to  get  them  to  suck.  It  is  here  that  the  pre- 
vious petting  of  the  sow  and  handling  of  her  teats  prove 
useful.  You  can  hold  the  pig  to  the  teat,  and  press  out 
some  milk  with  the  thumb  and  finger.  It  is  said  that 
the  teats,  towards  the  forelegs,  afford  the  richest  milk, 
and  that,  as  each  pig  is  believed  to  always  keep  the 
teat  he  first  takes  possession  of,  it  is  well  to  put  the 
weaker  pigs  to  the  forward  teats.  We  cannot  speak 
from  experience  as  to  the  advantage  of  this  method.  In 
the  case  of  thorough-bred  pigs,  it  will  pay  to  have  a  man 
watch  the  sow  the  first  night,  to  see  that  she  does  not  lie 
on  any  of  the  little  ones.  If  the  pigs  are  strong,  there 
will  be  comparatively  little  danger  after  the  first  night ; 
but  we  have  known  a  sow  to  lie  on  a  weak  pig  and  crush 
it  to  death  when  eight  or  ten  days  old,  and  when  all 
danger  was  supposed  to  be  passed.  We  once  had  a  sow 
lie  on  a  sick  pig,  that  was  large  enough  to  wean,  and  hurt 
it  so  much  that  it  died  in  a  few  hours.  If  the  pigs  are 
strong,  it  is  an  easy  matter  to  raise  them ;  but  if  not, 
great  care  will  be  required.  It  is,  therefore,  in  all  respects, 
very  desirable  to  have  the  pigs  come  strong  and  healthy, 
and  this  is  usually  the  case  when  the  sow  and  boar  are 
healthy,  and  are  descended  from  a  healthy  stock,  and 
when  the  sow  herself  is,  and  always  has  been,  well  and 
properly  fed,  and  has  had  plenty  of  fresh  air  and  exer- 
cise, with  access  to  charcoal,  ashes,  and  pure  water. 


212  HARRIS    ON  THE   TIG. 

When  a  litter  of  pigs  gets  chilled,  there  is  nothing  bet- 
ter to  revive  them  than  hot  chaff  from  the  steam  vat,  re- 
newed by  degrees  as  often  as  it  gets  cool.  We  have 
saved  pigs  in  this  way  that  were  almost  lifeless.  Place 
the  chaff  along  the  side  of  the  sow,  next  to  the  teats,  and 
put  the  little  pigs  on  it,  and  nearly  cover  them  witli  the 
chaff,  and  then  throw  a  blanket  over  the  sow  and  the 
pigs  and  hot  chaff.  Of  course  it  will  be  necessary  to  re- 
main with  the  sow  and  watch  the  pigs ;  and  we  have 
sometimes  given  them,  with  advantage,  a  little  warm  new 
milk,  or  fresh  cream,  with  a  teaspoonful  of  gin  or  whiskey 
to  three  or  four  tablespoonfuls  of  the  milk  or  cream. 
When  they  revive  a  little,  place  them  to  the  teats,  and 
encourage  them  to  suck  a  little. 

In  very  cold  weather,  it  is  often  desirable  to  hang  some 
blankets  from  the  top  of  the  pen  around  the  sow,  like  the 
curtains  on  a  tent-bedstead  ;  and  by  placing  several  bags 
of  hot  chaff  inside  the  curtains,  the  temperature  may  be 
raised  several  degrees.  If  more  convenient,  pails  of  hot 
water  may  be  used  instead  of  the  hot  chaff. 

We  once  had  a  litter  of  valuable  pigs  come  one  night 
during  a  -severe  cold  storm.  The  kitchen  fire  was  out, 
and  no  hot  water  to  be  had,  but  in  the  steam-house  was  a 
barrel  of  boiled  barley.  By  taking  a  little  from  the  top 
it  was  found  to  be  hot  underneath,  and  we  carried  six  or 
eight  pailfuls  of  hot  barley  into  the  pen,  and  in  this  way 
managed  to  keep  the  pigs  warm,  and  save  the  whole  litter. 

When  the  pigs  are  two  weeks  old,  they  will  begin  to 
lap  a  little  milk,  and  a  week  later,  will  eat  a  few  oats. 
The  directions  already  given  in  a  previous  chapter  are  ap- 
plicable here.  When  the  pigs  are  a  month  old,  we  let 
the  sow  out  from  the  pigs  in  the  morning,  after  breakfast, 
and  again  after  dinner,  feeding  the  pigs  while  the  sow  is 
away.  At  first,  the  sow  is  kept  out  only  an  hour  or  so  at  a 
time,  and  as  the  pigs  get  older,  she  may  be  kept  out  longer. 
In  this  way  the  little  pigs  will  eat  more  food,  and  will  not 


MANAGEMENT    OF   THOROUGH-BRED   PIGS.  213 

draw  so  much  on  the  strength  of  the  sow.  In  the  case 
of  thorough-bred  pigs,  where  it  is  desirable  to  have  the 
sows  breed  as  long  as  they  produce  strong  litters  of 
ten  or  a  dozen,  this  is  quite  an  important  point.  Great 
care  must  be  taken  not  to  tax  the  strength  of  the  sow 
too  much.  Little  pigs,  of  a  good  breed,  grow  so  rapidly, 
that  they  require  much  more  food  than  ordinary  pigs, 
while  the  sow  has  been  so  refined  by  breeding,  that  she 
is  seldom  strong  enough  to  stand  the  drain,  when  the  pigs 
depend  entirely  on  her  for  food. 

The  pigs  will  do  better  to  remain  with  the  sow  until 
they  are  two  months  old ;  and  if  they  are  well  fed,  and 
are  gradually  weaned  in  the  way  above  recommended,  the 
sow  will  suffer  no  harm. 

According  to  the  experiments  of  Doctor  Miles,  previous- 
ly alluded  to,  Essex  pigs,  about  three  weeks  old,  ate  31 13 
Ibs.  of  new  milk,  each,  per  day.  The  next  week  they  ate 
nearly  7  Ibs.  of  milk,  each,  per  day.  From  this,  it  ap- 
pears that  a  litter  of  ten  pigs,  a  month  or  five  weeks  old, 
will  eat  over  30  quarts  of  new  milk  a  day,  or  more  than  is 
ordinarily  given  by  the  best  cows.  We  present  these  facts 
here  to  show  what  an  immense  drain  a  suckling  sow  is 
called  upon  to  sustain.  We  have  often  observed  how 
rapidly  such  a  sow  loses  flesh  after  the  third  week. 
No  matter  how  fat  she  may  have  been,  and  how  much  of 
the  richest  food  she  is  allowed,  she  will  soon  get  very  thin 
unless  the  pigs  are  induced  to  eat  other  food  than  that 
which  the  mother  supplies. 

The  milk  of  the  sow  is  richer  than  that  of  any  other 
domestic  animal.  Milk  is  derived  from  the  blood,  and  this 
is  derived  either  directly  from  the  food,  or  from  the  flesh 
and  fat  stored  up  in  the  animal.  It  is,  therefore,  easy  to 
understand  that,  when  a  sow  is  called  upon  to  give  as 
much  milk  as  one  of  the  largest  and  best  cows,  it  must 
tax  her  digestive  powers  to  the  utmost,  or  rapidly  convert 
her  flesh  into  blood  and  milk. 


214  HARRIS   ON  THE   PIG. 

We  are  particularly  anxious  to  call  attention  to  this 
matter,  as  we  deem  it  one  of  the  most  important  points 
in  the  management  of  thorough-bred  pigs.  A  litter  of 
ten  pigs,  at  birth,  weighs  about  15  Ibs.,  and  at  six  weeks 
old,  sometimes  as  much  as  250  Ibs.,  or  nearly  or  quite  as 
much  as  the  mother  herself  weighs,  in  many  cases.  It  is 
evident  that  this  enormous  growth  must  require  a  large 
amount  of  food  from  somewhere.  From  whence  is  it  ob- 
tained ?  In  thorough-bred  pigs,  we  must  have  as  rapid 
growth  as  possible  while  young,  or  the  breed  deteriorates. 
The  offspring  of  pigs  whose  growth  is  checked  while 
young  from  want  of  food,  will,  in  some  degree,  lose  the 
capacity  of  growth,  even  though  abundance  of  food  is 
furnished.  The  sins  of  the  owners  of  the  parents  are 
visited  on  the  owners  of  the  children.  The  pigs  have 
been  bred  for  the  very  purpose  of  growing  rapidly,  and 
they  cannot  grow  without  food.  To  expect  a  thorough- 
bred sow  (refined  down  to  the  last  degree,)  to  raise  a  lit- 
ter of  pigs  (inheriting  a  tendency  to  rapid  growth),  with 
no  more  food  than  a  common  sow  with  a  litter  of  common 
pigs,  is  unreasonable.  The  thorough-bred  sow  and  pigs 
require,  and  must  have,  better  food,  and  more  attention 
than  the  common  pigs. 

A  first-class  thorough-bred  sow,  that  produces  eight 
or  ten  pigs  at  the  first  litter,  and  proves  a  good  mother 
and  nurse,  is  a  very  valuable  animal,  and  it  will  pay  well 
to  take  care  of  her.  For  the  first  two  weeks  after  far- 
rowing, little  change  will  apparently  take  place  in  her 
condition.  The  scales  would  doubtless  show  that  she  has 
lost  weight,  but  it  is  from  the  inside  fat,  which  finds  its 
way  into  the  milk  for  the  nourishment  of  the  young. 
All  animals  lay  up  fat  for  this  purpose,  and  it  is  not  nec- 
essary to  furnish  a  large  quantity  of  rich  food  for  the 
sow  for  the  first  week  after  farrowing.  She  should  have 
all  the  cooling  drinks  she  requires,  and  food  that  is  easily 
digested,  such  as  milk  and  bran  mashes,  and  later,  oat- 


MANAGEMENT  OP   THOKOUGH-BRED   PIGS.  215 

meal  or  barley-meal.  After  the  second  week,  give  richer 
food,  but  be  careful  that  it  is  not  rich  enough  to  derange 
the  stomach  of  the  sow,  and  produce  diarrhoea  in  the 
little  pigs.  Boiled  barley,  given  in  connection  with  the 
milk  and  bran,  is  excellent.  Let  it  be  thoroughly  boiled. 
Soak  it  in  water  for  twelve  hours,  and  afterwards  boil  it 
in  the  same  water  until  it  bursts  open.  Three  weeks  after 
farrowing  is  the  critical  time  for  the  sow.  The  pigs  be- 
gin to  require  much  more  milk,  and  are  constantly  pulling 
at  her.  She  will  begin  to  fall  off  in  flesh,  and  this  is  not, 
in  itself,  objectionable,  provided  it  is  not  carried  too  far. 
It  is  here  that  the  breeder  must  exercise  his  best  judg- 
ment. The  sow  must  have  a  liberal  and  regular  supply 
of  nutritious  food.  But  be  very  careful  not  to  give  her 
a  comparatively  innutritions  food  one  day,  and  a  full  sup- 
ply of  rich  food  the  next.  The  true  plan,  as  we  have  be- 
fore said,  but  it  cannot  be  too  often  repeated,  is  to  feed 
the  little  pigs,  and  thus  lessen  their  demands  on  the 
mother.  Give  them  a  little  new  milk  from  the  cow,  and 
take  pains  to  teach  them  to  drink  it.  If  you  teach  one 
to  drink,  the  others  will  be  likely  to  follow  his  example. 
A  little  sugar  or  molasses  in  the  milk  will  prove  accepta- 
ble to  the  pigs.  In  a  few  days,  mix  a  little  scalded  or 
boiled  oat-meal  with  the  milk,  and  gradually  increase  the 
quantity  as  their  appetites  increase.  A  little  boiled  barley 
may  also  be  given,  and  throw  them  a  handful  of  whole 
oats  on  the  floor  of  their  pen,  for  them  to  crack  and  exer- 
cise their  teeth  on.  In  this  way  you  can  save  the  strength 
of  the  sow,  and  we  deem  this  one  of  the  most  important 
points  in  breeding,  especially  with  the  first  litter. 

In  the  natural  state,  sows  do  not  have  more  than  half 
as  many  pigs  at  a  litter  as  the  improved  breeds,  and  they 
do  not  grow  half  as  fast,  and  consequently  do  not  require 
more  than  half  as  much  milk.  Those  who  talk  so  much 
about  following  "  Nature,"  seem  to  forget  these  facts. 
Our  object  is  to  improve  on  nature,  and  to  do  this  we 


216  HAREIS    ON   THE    PIG. 

have  to  provide  improved  conditions.  A  thorough-bred 
pig  is  a  work  of  art,  and  its  production  calls  for  intelli- 
.  gence,  thought,  care,  patience,  and  perseverance. 

We  once  had  two  valuable  thorough-bred  sows  that 
farrowed  their  first  litters  in  February.  They  had  ten 
pigs  each.  Through  carelessness,  one  whole  litter  was 
frozen  to  death.  We  took  a  couple  of  the  pigs  from  the 
other  litter,  and  gave  them  to  the  sow  that  had  lost 
her  litter,  and  these  also  died.  The  other  sow  raised 
the  eight  pigs,  and  they  did  well.  The  sow  was  left  in 
charge  of  an  ordinary  man,  and  by  the  time  the  pigs  were 
five  weeks  old,  she  was  as  thin  as  a  rail.  The  pigs  were 
not  weaned  until  nine  weeks  old.  She  nourished  them 
at  the  expense  of  her  own  flesh,  and,  as  it  turned  out,  at 
the  expense  of  her  strength  also.  She  did  not  recover 
from  the  effects  of  the  drain  on  her  constitution  for  six 
months,  and  did  not  take  the  boar  again  until  the  follow- 
ing October.  In  the  meantime,  the  sow  which  lost  all  her 
pigs  took  the  boar  in  two  weeks,  and  had  a  litter  of  ten 
pigs  in  July,  worth,  at  two  months  old,  $20  each.  We 
mention  this  fact  to  show  that  it  will  pay  to  take  particu- 
lar care  of  young  sows,  and  to  guard  against  overtaxing 
their  strength  and  constitution.  We  must  do  this,  not 
only  by  giving  the  sow  the  best  of  care  and  proper  food, 
but  also  by  feeding  the  little  pigs,  and  doing  all  that  we 
can  to  prevent  the  sow  from  giving  them  too  much  milk 
after  they  are  three  or  four  weeks  old. 

A  sow  will  often  take  the  boar  in  three  or  four  days 
after  farrowing.  In  the  case  of  large,  coarse,  common 
sows,  this  is  sometimes  desirable,  but  rarely  in  the  case 
of  thorough-breds.  It  is  better  to  wait  until  the  pigs  are 
weaned.  If  the  little  pigs  have  been  fed  as  above  recom- 
mended, so  that  they  have  not  taxed  too  much  the 
strength  of  the  sow,  she  will  often  take  the  boar  in  a  few 
days,  or,  at  farthest,  in  two  or  three  weeks.  She  should 
have  plenty  of  nutritious  food  and  moderate  exercise  for 


MANAGEMENT  OF   THOROUGH-BRED   PIGS.  217 

the  first  month  after  the  pigs  are  weaned.  After  this,  she 
should  have  all  the  food  she  can  eat,  but  should,  if  possi- 
ble, be  compelled  to  take  some  exercise  in  order  to  get  it. 

MANAGEMENT   OF   THE   YOUNG   PIGS. 

The  pigs,  as  before  said,  should  be  gradually  weaned. 
They  do  better  to  remain  with  the  sow  until  eight  or  ten 
weeks  old,  but  we  would  commence  weaning  them  when 
three  weeks  old.  Let  out  the  sow  from  them — at  first, 
for  an  hour  or  so  at  a  time,  gradually  extending  the  time 
as  they  get  older.  When  a  month  old,  they  may  be  al- 
lowed to  go  out  with  the  sow  for  an  hour  or  two  in  mild 
weather,  but  not  while  the  sun  is  very  hot,  as,  in  some 
breeds,  our  hot  sun  will  blister  the  backs  of  young  pigs. 
When  five  weeks  old,  they  may  go  out  into  the  pasture 
while  the  sow  is  kept  in  the  pen.  The  little  pigs  need 
more  exercise  at  this  time  than  the  mother.  The  secretion 
of  milk,  in  her  case,  is  equivalent  to  a  considerable  amount 
of  exercise,  and  she  should  not  be  obliged  to  take  exer- 
cise in  order  to  get  food. 

The  most  common  complaints  of  little  pigs  are  diarrhoea 
and  colds.  The  former  is  caused  by  giving  the  sow  im- 
proper food,  or  a  too  sudden  change  of  diet,  or  by  irregular 
feeding,  or  from  want  of  pure  water  and  fresh  air.  We  once 
had  a  few  cooked  beans  that  had  been  left  in  the  steam-bar- 
rel until  they  decomposed.  They  were  thrown  on  to  the 
manure  heap,  and  a  sow,  which  was  suckling  pigs,  ate 
some  of  them.  Two  days  afterwards,  the  whole  litter 
was  seized  with  violent  diarrhoea,  and  one  of  them  died  in 
the  course  of  two  or  three  days.  It  was  the  worst  case 
of  the  kind  we  ever  had,  and  the  diarrhoea  continued  for 
four  or  five  days,  and  was  not  stopped  until  we  gave  the 
pigs  two  or  three  drops  of  laudanum  each,  at  night,  in 
some  fresh  cream,  with  a  teaspoon,  and  repeated  the  dose 
the  next  morning.  This  effected  a  cure,  but  the  pigs  did 
10 


218  HAREIS    ON  THE   PIG. 

not  regain  their  thrifty  growth  for  a  week  or  ten  days. 
We  should  add  that  the  sow  continued  perfectly  well, 
and  manifested  no  symptoms  of  the  complaint.  As  a 
general  rule,  no  medicine  will  be  required.  Change  the 
food  of  the  mother,  and  let  her  go  out  into  the  air,  hut 
let  the  little  pigs  remain  in  the  pen,  and  see  that  they  are 
warm  and  comfortable.  The  less  they  are  disturbed,  and 
the  more  they  sleep,  the  sooner  will  they  recover.  It  is 
also  very  important  to  keep  the  pen  clean  and  well  venti- 
lated. Nothing  can  be  worse  than  to  leave  the  evacua- 
tions in  the  pen.  Scatter  some  dry  earth  about  the  pen 
to  absorb  the  offensive  gases.  Let  the  feeding  apartment 
also  be  dusted  over  with  dry  earth  or  soil  of  any  kind 
that  can  be  obtained,  and  then  scraped,  and  swept,  and 
washed,  and  a  little  dry  straw,  or  chaff,  or  sawdust,  be 
spread  on  it,  to  prevent  dampness.  Scald  the  pig  troughs 
with  boiling  water,  and  make  them  sweet  and  clean.  Let 
this  be  done  every  day.  The  attendant  should  understand 
that  the  scours  are  an  evidence  of  negligence  or  carelessness. 
The  same  may  be  said  of  coughs  or  colds.  Damp  pens, 
exposure  to  a  cold  storm,  too  much  litter  at  one  time,  and 
too  little  at  another,  or  suffering  it  to  remain  until  it  gets 
damp,  are  the  chief  causes  of  colds,  with  all  their  attend-* 
ant  disorders.  An  ounce  of  Epsom  salt,  given  to  the 
sow  in  her  food,  twice  a  day,  will  be  beneficial  to  the  lit- 
tle pigs.  But  it  is  not  often  that  pigs  are  affected  with 
colds  until  after  they  are  weaned,  and  in  this  case  a  few 
salts,  either  Epsom,  Glauber's,  or  Rochelle,  as  most  con- 
venient, may  be  given  in  the  food — say  a  teaspoonful  of 
Epsom  or  Rochelle  salts,  to  a  three-months-old  pig,  or  a 
tablespoonful  of  Glauber's  salt,  given  in  the  food  twice  a 
day,  with  a  little  gentian  or  ginger,  or  some  other  tonic. 
Fresh  air  is  very  important,  and  in  mild  weather  they 
should  be  allowed  to  run  in  the  pasture,  but  should  be 
permitted  to  return  to  their  pen  whenever  they  wish. 
Let  the  pen  be  made  as  dry  and  comfortable  as  possible  j 


MANAGEMENT  OF   THOROUGH-BRED    TIGS.  219 

give  succulent  food,  and  guard  against  constipation,  and 
in  a  few  days  the  pigs  will  be  better.  In  our  own  experi- 
ence, we  have  never  happened  to  have  any  serious  trouble 
from  this  cause,  but  we  once  sent  a  pair  of  valuable  pigs 
to  a  gentleman  in  Illinois,  and  the  boar,  nine  or  ten  weeks 
old,  and  a  very  strong  and  apparently  healthy  one,  caught 
cold  on  the  route,  and  though  he  received  good  care,  died 
in  a  week  or  so  afterwards. 

The  great  point  in  the  management  of  young  pigs  is, 
to  keep  them  growing  rapidly.  If  strong  and  vigorous, 
they  are  seldom  liable  to  any  disease,  and  if  attacked, 
soon  throw  it  off.  We  think  it  advantageous  to  pet  them 
and  make  them  as  tame  as  possible.  They  are  fond  of 
being  rubbed  with  a  brush,  and  have  not  the  slightest 
objection  to  a  good  Irish  scratching,  especially  in  the 
holes  and  corners  about  the  head,  where  they  cannot 
scratch  themselves  without  unusual  exertion.  We  are  in 
the  habit  of  taking  hold  of  our  young  pigs  back  of  the 
ears,  and  when  they  get  used  to  it,  they  regard  it  as  indi- 
cating a  desire  for  a  frolic.  If  well  fed,  well  petted,  and 
in  high  health,  they  enjoy  a  frolic  as  much  as  a  pair  of 
young  dogs.  At  three  months  old,  the  boar  pigs  should 
be  separated  from  the  sows. 


220  HARRIS   ON  THE   PIG. 

CHAPTER    XXIII. 

THE    PROFIT    OF    RAISING    THOROUGH-BRED    PIGS. 

A  farmer  who  reads  the  preceding  chapter  will  be  very 
apt  to  ask — "  Will  it  pay  to  be  at  all  this  trouble  to  raise 
pigs  ?  Will  it  not  be  better  to  keep  a  kind  that  does  not 
require  so  much  attention  ?" 

In  the  first  place,  it  should  be  remarked  that,  we  do  not 
advocate  keeping  thorough-bred  pigs  to  be  fatted  and  sold 
to  the  butcher.  They  are  raised  for  the  purpose  of  im- 
proving our  ordinary  stock ;  and  we  have  already  at- 
tempted to  show  what  is  the  value  of  a  thorough-bred 
boar  for  this  purpose.  Suffice  it  to  say  here,  that  he  is 
worth  much  more  than  he  is  ordinarily  sold  for.  We  be- 
lieve that  reliable  breeders  of  thorough-bred  pigs  are 
often  unable  to  supply  the  demand  for  boars  ;  and  it  is 
certain  that,  as  their  value  for  improving  our  common 
pigs  becomes  more  generally  recognized,  the  demand  will 
become  far  greater.  At  the  present  time,  not  one  boar  in 
a  thousand,  kept  for  use  in  the  country,  is  thorough-bred. 
The  American  agricultural  press,  which  is  becoming  a 
mighty  power  for  good  in  the  land,  is  doing  valuable  ser- 
vice in  calling  attention  to  the  importance  of  using  none 
but  thorough-bred  males  of  all  kinds  of  stock,  and  the  pros- 
pects of  breeders  never  were  more  encouraging  than  now. 
As  general  intelligence  and  civilization  increase,  so  in-, 
creases  the  demand  for  flesh  meat  of  good  quality ;  and 
the  prices  paid  for  it  warrant  us  in  using  every  means  in 
our  power  for  increasing  the  supply.  In  the  future,  as  in 
the  past,  the  price  of  pork  will  fluctuate  ;  but  with  our  fa- 
cilities for  transportation,  and  the  ease  with  which  pork 
can  be  cured  and  shipped  to  any  part  of  the  world,  the 
American  farmer  is  pretty  certain  of  getting  a  fair  price 


THE   PROFIT    OF   RAISING   THOKOUGH-BRED   PIGS. 

for  liis  pigs.  The  English  farmers  are  enabled  to  compete 
with  the  pork  made  from  our  cheap  corn-growing  sections 
by  paying  more  attention  to  the  improved  breeds,  and  by 
furnishing  a  superior  article.  The  American  farmers  of 
the  Eastern  and  Middle  States  must  do  the  same  thing 
in  order  to  successfully  compete  with  raisers  of  pork  in 
the  cheap  corn-growing  sections  of  the  West ;  and  the  first 
step  is  to  introduce  thorough-bred  boars  of  the  best  breeds. 
As  long  as  breeders  can  sell  their  pigs  at  $20  each  when 
two  months  old,  it  will  pay  to  bestow  a  good  deal  of  at- 
tention on  their  management.  An  English  breeder  is  said 
to  have  made  enough  out  of  his  pigs  to  "  build  a  church." 
Many  American  breeders  of  Chester  County  and  the 
Jefferson  County  pigs  have  made  a  great  deal  of  money 
by  the  business. 


HARRIS    ON   THE   PIG. 

CHAPTER    XXIV. 

COOKING    FOOD    FOR    PIGS. 

Nearly  all  farmers  cook  more  or  less  food  for  their  pigs. 
Comparatively  few  do  it  systematically  and  regularly 
throughout  the  year.  Potatoes,  pumpkins,  and  food  of 
this  class,  is  almost  invariably  cooked  in  this  country,  the 
general  plan  being  to  boil  or  steam  the  potatoes  or  pump- 
kins, and  after  they  are  cooked,  mash  them  up  with  meal, 
either  in  the  vessel  in  which  they  are  cooked,  or  in  the 
feed  tub.  If  the  meal  is  mixed  with  the  cooked  food 
while  it  is  boiling  hot,  and  the  mass  is  then  covered  care- 
fully for  a  few  hours,  to  retain  the  heat,  the  meal  becomes 
soft,  and  is,  in  fact,  more  or  less  cooked,  according  to  the 
skill  and  judgment  with  which  the  operation  is  performed. 

In  England,  Swede  turnips  are  often  cooked  in  this 
way,  and  mixed  with  barley  or  Indian  corn-meal.  But 
they  are  considered  far  inferior  to  potatoes  as  food  for 
pigs.  Of  late  years,  the  turnips,  potatoes,  etc.,  are  ground, 
or  crushed,  and  the  pulp,  as  it  comes  from  the  machine,  is 
mixed  with  meal.  This  mixture  of  meal  and  pulped  roots 
is  sometimes  steamed,  but  it  is  more  generally  fed  without 
cooking,  being  simply  allowed  to  remain  in  a  heap  until 
it  becomes  warm  from  fermentation.  In  this  way  the 
particles  of  meal  are  softened  and  broken  up,  and  are 
supposed  to  be  more  readily  digested  by  the  animals.  As 
to  whether  it  is  more  economical  to  feed  raw  potatoes 
with  raw  meal  or  grain,  or  to  cook  them,  there  seems  to 
be  no  question.  We  have  never  known  any  one  who  has 
tried  steaming  or  boiling,  with  even  ordinary  conveniences, 
that  was  not  perfectly  satisfied  that  it  was  more  profita- 
ble than  to  feed  raw.  We  may  assume  that  this  fact  is 
established  by  common  experience.  But,  on  the  other 
hand,  as  between  cooking  and  pulping,  the  question  may 


COOKING   POOD    FOR   PIGS.  223 

be  considered  an  open  one — that  is  to  say,  as  to  whether 
it  is  more  economical  to  steam  roots  and  meal,  or  to  pulp 
the  roots  and  mix  meal  with  the  pulp,  and  then  allow  the 
mixture  to  ferment,  has  not  been  satisfactorily  determined. 
It  depends,  probably,  a  good  deal  on  the  conveniences  for 
doing  the  work. 

If  we  might  hazard  an  opinion,  from  a  quite  limited 
experience,  we  should  say  that,  for  store  pigs  and  breed- 
ing stock,  we  should  prefer,  where  there  are  good  conven- 
iences for  steaming,  to  pulp  the  roots,  mix  them  with  suf- 
ficient hay  chaff  to  absorb  the  juice,  and  then  add  a  little 
meal,  and  steam  the  whole  mixture  together.  The  clover 
hay  imparts  an  agreeable  flavor  to  the  cooked  mass,  and 
the  pigs  eat  it  with  far  more  avidity  than  they  will  eat 
the  raw  pulp  and  meal  "mixture.  If  we  can  winter  our 
pigs  on  roots,  and  clover  hay,  with  a  little  meal,  one  of  the 
chief  objections  to  keeping  a  large  stock  of  pigs  is  en- 
tirely removed.  They  are  then  kept  on  food,  the  produc- 
tion of  which  enriches,  rather  than  impoverishes,  the  soil, 
while  the  manure  from  it  is  of  the  richest  and  most  valu- 
able description. 

Where  pigs  are  kept  for  the  purpose  of  supplying  the 
demand  for  choice  fresh  pork,  cooking  will  probably  be 
found  essential  to  success.  The  pigs  should  be  ready  for 
market  at  from  four  to  five  months  old.  In  proportion  to 
the  food  consumed,  young  pigs  (and  probably  all  other 
animals)  grow  much  more  rapidly  than  older  ones.  But 
if  they  are  to  grow  rapidly,  and  fatten  at  the  same  time, 
they  must  have  the  richest  and  most  easily  digestible  food. 
Of  course  they  must  be  fed  with  judgment,  varying  the 
food  as  occasion  requires,  and  sometimes  giving  raw 
grain,  but  our  main  dependence  must  be  steamed  roots 
and  meal ;  or,  in  the  absence  of  roots,  we  must  have 
cooked  meal,  with  sufficient  steamed  hay  or  grass  to  fill 
the  stomach,  and  keep  the  bowels  regular.  The  richer  the 
food,  provided  the  pigs  can  eat  enough  of  it  to  fill  their 


224  HARRIS    ON   THE    PIG. 

stomachs  three  times  a  day,  without  producing  constipa- 
tion or  scours,  the  more  rapidly  will  they  fatten. 

There  is  a  sense  in  which  it  may  truly  be  said,  that 
cooking  adds  nothing  to  the  amount  of  nutriment  in  food. 
All  that  can  be  claimed  for  it  is  that  it  increases  the  di- 
gestibility of  the  food.  To  what  extent  this  takes  place 
has  not  been  determined.  In  fact,  the  whole  subject  is 
surrounded  with  difficulty. 

In  Chapter  III.  we  have  endeavored  to  show  how  im- 
portant it  is  to  obtain  animals  that  will  eat  and  digest  a 
large  amount  of  food.  And  it  may  be  recollected  that, 
in  Dr.  Miles'  experiments  (see  page  122),  100  Ibs.  of  meal, 
eaten  by  one  pig,  gave  an  increase  of  lO1).,  Ibs.,  while  the 
same  quantity,  eaten  by  two  pigs,  gave  only  an  increase 
of  3  Ibs.  The  food  was  of  the  same  character,  and  the 
difference  in  the  results  is  due  to  the  better  appetite  and 
digestive  powers  of  the  pig  that  ate  double  the  amount 
of  food.  But  the  fact  shows  how  important  it  is  to  pro- 
vide food  that  pigs  will  eat  and  digest. 

Those  who  advocate  cooking  food  for  animals,  fre- 
quently assert  that  it  "  saves  one-quarter  of  the  food." 
We  know  of  no  satisfactory  experiments  which  establish 
the  fact.  And,  at  any  rate,  it  may  safely  be  asserted  thnt 
the  saving  of  food  is  only  a  very  small  part  of  the  advant- 
age to  be  gained  from  cooking.  What  we  should  aim 
at  in  breeding  and  feeding,  is  to  get  pigs  to  eat  25  per 
cent  more,  rather  than  25  per  cent  less,  food.  We  have 
assumed  (see  page  22)  that  75  per  cent  of  the  food  a  pig 
eats  is  ordinarily  required  to  support  the  vital  functions. 
If  a  pig  eats  100  Ibs.  of  corn  in  a  month,  and  gains  20 
Ibs.,  we  assume  that  75  Ibs.  are  used  to  support  the  vital 
functions,  and  25  Ibs.  are  left  available  for  growth.  On 
this  supposition,  take  three  pigs,  and  put  them  in  separate 
pens.  Feed  one  whole  raw  corn,  another  raw  corn-meal, 
and  another  cooked  corn-meal,  and  assume  that  one  eats 


COOKIXG    FOOD    FOB   PIGS. 


225 


871 13  Ibs.  during  the  month,  the  other  100  Ibs.,  and  the 
other  125  Ibs.,  and  we  may  then  get  the  following  results: 


Food     con- 
sumed. 

Food  requir- 
ed to  sustain 
the  vital 
functions. 

Food  availa- 
ble for    in- 
crease of 
growth. 

Growth    of 
Pigs. 

No. 
No. 
No. 

1,  Whole  Corn,  Raw  
2  Raw  Meal  

87i/2  Ibs. 
100        " 
125 

75  Ibs. 
75    " 
75    " 

12H  Iba. 
25 
50 

10  Ibs. 
20    " 
40    " 

3,  Cooked  Meal  

This  is  assuming  that  the  grinding  and  cooking  do  not 
add  anything  to  the  intrinsic  nutriment  of  the  food,  but 
merely  render  it  more  digestible.  We  assume  that  when 
whole  raw  corn  is  fed,  the  pig  can  only  digest  871  |a  Ibs. 
per  month,  but  when  ground  and  cooked,  it  can  digest 
125  Ibs.,  and  gains  four  times  as  fast.  Of  course  these 
figures  are  only  hypothetical.  They  may,  or  may  not,  be 
true.  We  give  them  merely  to  illustrate  our  meaning, 
and  to  show  how  important  it  is  to  have  pigs  that  can  eat 
and  digest  a  large  amount  of  food — and  consequently  how 
important  it  is  to  provide  food  readily  digestible. 

It  may  be  true  that  cooking  enables  the  pigs  to  fatten 
on  less  food,  but  if  so,  it  must  be  owing  to  the  inability 
of  the  pigs  to  digest  the  raw  food.  They  must  void  a 
portion  of  it  in  an  undigested  state.  To  a  certain  extent 
this  can  be  avoided  by  feeding  less  grain,  and  furnishing 
the  necessary  bulk  to  fill  the  stomach  by  supplying  a  por- 
tion of  less  concentrated  food.  When  pigs  are  allowed 
the  run  of  a  clover  pasture,  they  may  be  fed  whole  grain 
without  much  loss  from  passing  it  in  an  undigested  state. 
The  feeder,  by  examining  the  feces,  can  tell  how  much 
grain  he  can  feed  without  loss.  If  he  feeds  more  than  the 
pigs  can  digest,  he  suffers  a  loss  of  grain  ;  but  if  he  feeds 
less,  he  suffers  a  certain  amount  of  digestive  power  to 
run  to  waste.  His  profits  will  depend  very  much  on  his 
ability  to  guard  against  loss  from  either  source. 

We  cannot  too  often  call  attention  to  the  great  mistake 
which  many  farmers  make  in  not- feeding  any  grain  to 


226  HARRIS    ON    THE    PIG. 

their  pigs  during  the  summer  and  autumn,  while  at  pas- 
ture. It  is  not  uncommon  to  furnish  the  pigs  nothing  but 
grass  and  the  slops  from  the  house  until  the  time  the  corn 
crop  is  ready  to  husk.  They  are  then  shut  up  in  a  pen, 
and  thrown  whole  corn  on  the  ear.  The  pigs  have  been 
accustomed  to  a  bulky  food,  from  which  they  can  extract 
little  more  than  sufficient  nutriment  to  keep  them  alive, 
when,  suddenly,  they  are  shut  up,  and  allowed  nothing 
but  food  containing,  in  a  given  bulk,  three  or  four  times 
as  much  nutriment.  What  wonder  if  a  portion  of  it  is 
voided  in  an  undigested  state  ?  If  the  pig  fills  his 
stomach,  what  else  can  he  do  with  it  ?  His  powers  of 
digestion  and  assimilation  are  not  three  times  as  great 
to-day  as  they  were  yesterday,  when  he  had. nothing  but 
grass.  How  much  more  reasonable  it  would  be  to  feed 
him  a  little  corn  when  at  grass,  and  a  little  grass,  or  other 
succulent  food,  when  shut  up  to  fatten  ! 

The  corn  fed  to  a  pig  while  at  grass  increases  his  pow- 
ers of  digestion  and  assimilation,  and  as  he  approaches 
maturity,  he  will  be  able  to  digest  and  assimilate  more 
concentrated  food.  The  aim  must  be  to  furnish  him  all 
he  can  possibly  eat,  digest,  and  assimilate.  It  is  here  that 
cooking  comes  to  our  aid.  It  enables  us  to  "  crowd  "  the 
fattening  pigs  forward  rapidly  to  maturity.  It  is  a  costly 
process,  feeding  pigs  wholly  on  grain,  and  we  must  shorten 
the  time  as  much  as  possible.  The  pigs  should  be  kept 
growing  rapidly  during  the  summer,  increasing  the  sup- 
ply of  grain  as  the  pigs  get  older,  and  when  shut  up  to 
fatten,  four  or  five  weeks  feeding  on  rich,  cooked  food, 
should  fill  them  up  with  lard. 

By  looking  at  our  market  reports,  it  will  be  seen  that 
there  is  a  difference  of  two  or  three  cents  per  pound  in 
the  price  of  pigs,  according  to  their  condition  and  quality. 
And,  in  point  of  fact,  there  is  even  a  still  greater  differ- 
ence in  the  intrinsic  value  of  the  pork  and  lard  to  the 
consumers. 


COOKING    POOD    FOR   PIGS,  227 

This  is  a  j>oint  that  should  not  be  overlooked  in  esti- 
mating the  advantages  of  liberal  feeding.  Take  two  lit- 
ters of  ten  pigs,  each  born,  say,  the  first  of  September.  - 
Let  both  litters  have  the  run  of  a  barn-yard,  with  the  slops 
from  the  house,  dairy,  etc.  Let  one  litter  have  nothing 
but  what  they  can  pick  up.  Let  the  other  have  what 
they  can  pick  up,  and  be  supplied  with  a  feed  of  grain, 
in  addition,  that  shall  send  them  to  bed  every  night  with 
a  full  stomach.  By  the  first  of  May,  the  one  litter  should 
weigh  200  Ibs.  each  ;  the  other  would  be  better  than  the 
average  if  they  weigh  100  Ibs.  each.  Then  let  both  litters 
have  the  run  of  a  pasture,  with  the  slops  from  the  house, 
etc.  Let  the  one  have  nothing  else,  and  the  other  be  al- 
lowed a  little  grain  every  day — enough  to  fill  their  stom- 
achs every  night,  and  make  them  sleep  comfortably.  By 
the  first  of  October,  the  one  litter  will  weigh — say  350 
Ibs.,  the  other  150  Ibs.  each.  Then  shut  them  both  up  to 
fatten.  Let  both  litters  have  all  the  corn  they  can  eat. 
Give  one  cooked  corn-meal,  and  the  other  corn  in  the  ear. 
In  a  month,  the  one  should  weigh  400  Ibs.  each,  the  other 
175  Ibs.  each.  Last  year  the  one  litter  would  have  sold, 
say  for  10  cents  per  lb.,  live  weight,  the  other  for  7'|9 
cents,  and  we  have  the  following  results: 

10  pigs,  400  Ibs.  each,  at  10  cents $400.00 

10  pigs,  175  Ibs.  each,  at  754  cents 131.25 

To  pay  for  extra  feed $268.75 

We  may  estimate  the  extra  feed  as  equal  to  an  average 
of  half  a  pint  of  corn  per  day,  each,  from  the  first  of  Oc- 
tober (when  the  pigs  are  a  month  old)  to  the  first  of 
December,  say  half  a  bushel  of  corn  for  each  pig.  From 
the  first  of  December  to  the  first  of  May,  say  one  pint 
per  day,  or  less  than  2'|  2  bushels  for  each  pig.  From  May 
until  October,  allow  one  quart  per  day,  or,  say  5  bushels 
to  each  pig.  This  would  be  8  bushels  of  corn  to  each 
pig.  And  we  have  no  sort  of  doubt  that,  in  the  circum- 
stances assumed,  this  8  bushels  of  extra  corn  on  each  pig, 
10* 


228 


HARRIS    ON   THE   PIG. 


or  80  bushels  in  all,  would  make  the  difference  shown  by 
the  figures  just  given. 

To  cook  grain  for  pigs  merely  for  the  sake  of  u  making 
it  go  further,"  will  seldom  pay  on  ordinary  farms.  This 
is  particularly  the  case  where  grain  is^  comparatively 
cheap,  and  fuel  dear.  It  is  profitable  only  when  adopted 
for  the  purpose  of  enabling  the  pigs  to  eat  and  digest  a 
greater  quantity  of  food,  and  bring  them  rapidly  forward 
for  market. 

And  it  is  still  an  open  question  whether  we  cannot 
adopt  some  cheaper  method  of  increasing  the  digestibility 
of  grain  than  grinding  or  cooking  it.  Where  grain  can 
be  ground  cheaply  on  the  farm,  we  would  grind  or  crush 
it  for  all  kinds  of  stock.  But  when  it  has  to  be  sent 
some  distance  to  a  mill,  it  is  worth  while  to  see  if  we  can- 
not prepare  it  at  .home. 

In  Mr.  Lawes'  experiments  on  sheep,  eight  Hampshire 
Down  sheep  were  put  in  two  pens,  four  in  each  pen,  and 
allowed  all  the  mangel  wurzel  they  would  eat.  Pen  1  was 
allowed  1  Ib.  of  barley  for  each  sheep,  per  day,  the  barley 
being  coarsely  ground.  Pen  2  was  allowed  the  same 
quantity  of  barley,  also  coarsely  ground,  but  before  being 
fed,  it  was  soaked  in  cold  water  for  24  or  36  hours.  The 
experiment  lasted  ten  weeks.  The  following  are  the 
results  : 


POOD    CONSUMED    BY    EACH 
SHEEP  PER  WEEK. 

Increase  of 
each  sheep  per 
week. 

Barley. 

Mangels. 

Pen  1  —  Barley-meal, 
Pen  2-    "          " 

fed  dry  
"   soaked  

7  Ibs. 

1171/1    "' 

2  Ibs.,    y2  oz. 

2  "  &YZ  " 

Soaking  the  barley  enabled  the  sheep  to  eat  more  food, 
and  grow  25  per  cent  faster  than  those  having  dry  barley. 
Had  the  sheep  been  allowed  more  of  the  soaked  barley, 
the  result  would  probably  have  been  still  more  in  favor  of 
the  practice.  One  of  the  sheep  in  pen  2  gained  4  Ibs.  per 
week.  He  probably  got  more  than  his  just  proportion 


COOKING   FOOD   FOR   PIGS.  239 

of  barley,  and  the  other  three  were  obliged  to  make  up 
the  deficiency  in  eating  more  mangels.  And  so  the  total 
gain,  in  proportion  to  total  food  consumed,  is  not  as  great 
as  it  otherwise  would  have  been.  The  amount,  of  actual 
dry  matter  in  the  food,  required  to  produce  1  Ib.  of  in- 
crease, is  nearly  identical  in  both  pens — 81  |a  Ibs. 

With  pigs,  when  they  are  allowed  all  the  grain  they 
will  eat,  we  have  no  doubt  that  soaking  the  grain  would 
show  still  better  results.  In  this  country,  where  we  feed 
so  few  roots,  the  experience  of  farmers  indicates  that  they 
have  a  greater  nutritive  value  than  the  mere  amount  of 
nutriment  they  contain  would  indicate.  This  is  attribu- 
table, to  a  certain  extent,  to  the  fact  that  the  food  in  the 
roots  is  intimately  mixed  with  a  large  amount  of  water. 
Now,  by  soaking  grain,  it  absorbs  a  considerable  amount 
of  water.  Barley  will  absorb  nearly  half  its  weight  of 
cold  water.  When  cooked  until  it  bursts  open,  it  doubt- 
less absorbs  a  still  greater  quantity.  In  the  absence  of 
roots,  therefore,  we  may  obtain  food  somewhat  resembling 
them  by  soaking  or  cooking  grain.  With  the  requisite 
number  of  tubs,  it  is  an  easy  matter  to  have  a  constant 
supply  of  soaked  grain  for  pigs  or  other  stock.  In  fact, 
it  would  not  be  a  difficult  matter  to  soak  the  grain  until 
it  had  absorbed  all  the  water  it  would  take  up,  and  then 
keep  it  in  a  mass,  from  twelve  to  sixteen  inches  deep, 
until  it  begins  to  sprout,  whereby  a  portion  of  the  starch 
is  converted  into  sugar:  As  the  grain  grows,  it  must  be 
spread  out  in  a  thinner  layer.  But  it  is  probably  better 
to  feed  it  out  soon  after  it  commences  to  sprout,  as  the 
process  of  germination  is  attended  with  more  or  less  loss 
of  carbon. 

Where  whole  grain  is  steamed,  there  is  a  great  saving 
of  time  and  fuel  by  soaking  the  grain  for  24  or  36  hours, 
before  letting  on  the  steam.     We  are  inclined  to  think 
that  it  can  be  cooked  in  this  way  to  fully  as  much  advan- 
tage as  when  it  is  ground  into  meal.     Grain,  whether 


230   ,  HARRIS    ON   THE   PIG. 

whole,  or  ground  into  meal,  cannot  be  steamed  without 
water,  and  if  it  could  be,  it  is  doubtful  if  it  would  be  as 
good  for  the  animals.  The  absorption  of  the  water,  and 
having  it  intimately  mixed  with  the  meal,  is  one  of  the 
advantages  of  cooking.  Boussingault  well  says  :  "  The 
absolute  necessity  of  a  sufficient  degree  of  moistness  in 
the  food,  in  order  to  secure  its  due  and  easy  digestion, 
greatly  countenances  the  practice  which  is  beginning  to 
be  introduced  in  some  places  of  steeping  hay  for  some 
time  in  water  before  giving  it  to  cattle."  We  think  there 
can  be  no  question  that  soaking  or  cooking  food  renders 
it  much  more  easily  digestible,  and  if  so,  the  advantages 
of  the  practice,  where  liberal  feeding  is  adopted,  cannot 
be  doubted. 

We  may  add  that  whole  grain,  thoroughly  soaked  or 
boiled,  swells  to  about  double  its  bulk,  and  consequently, 
in  feeding,  we  should  allow,  at  least,  twice  the  quantity 
that  the  pigs  eat  when  dry.  To  attain  the  best  results, 
we  should  watch  the  pigs  eating,  and  when  they  have 
eaten  up  all  clean,  give  a  little  more,  and  encourage  them 
to  eat  as  much  as  possible.  There  is  an  amusing  story  in 
the  American  Agriculturist  that  illustrates  the  impor- 
tance of  inducing  pigs  to  eat  as  much  as  possible. 

"  A  good  story  was  lately  told  us  of  several  neighbors 
who,  year  after  year,  vied  with  one  another  in  trying  to 
produce  the  fattest  hog,  each  taking  a  pig  from  the  same 
litter,  or  in  some  way  starting  fair,  and  square  with  pigs 
of  the  same  age  and  size,  and  doing  his  best  to  make  it 
as  fat  as  possible  before  Christmas.  One  of  the  farmers 
invariably  beat  the  others  out  and  out  so  thoroughly,  that 
his  good  luck  could  never  be  accounted  for  as  accidental. 
The  secret  he  kept  to  himself,  but  being  watched  by  some 
one  determined  to  find  it  out,  the  discovery  was  made 
that  jealousy  is  a  grand  appetizer  for  hogs.  First  the  pet 
monster  was  allowed  to  fill  himself  to  his  heart's  content, 
and  when  his  appetite  was  satiated,  a  half-starved  shoat 


COOKING   FOOD    FOR   PIGS.  231 

was  let  in  to  the  pen  by  a  side  door.  The  fat  one  would 
at  once  begin  to  fight  it  off,  and  meanwhile,  to  gorge  him- 
self, simply  to  prevent  the  poor,  squealing  victim  of  un- 
satisfied cravings  getting  any  food.  This  was  a  daily 


Fig.  53. — JEALOUSY  AN  AID  IN   FATTENING. 

programme,  and  the  result  was  as  stated.  The  fact  is 
worth  bearing  in  mind  for,  in  preparing  hogs  for  exhibi- 
tion, or  for  some  reason,  we  are  often  desirous  of  expedit- 
ing the  fattening  process." 


232  HARRIS    ON   THE    PIG. 


CHAPTER    XXV. 

SUMMARY. 

It  may  be  well,  in  conclusion,  to  state  a  few  facts  that 
may  have  been  given  in  previous  chapters,  but  which  it 
may  be  convenient  to  place  here  in  a  concise  form  for 
reference. 

The  leading  breeds  of  English  pigs  are  Berkshire, 
Essex,  and  Yorkshire.  The  Essex  are  entirely  black,  the 
Berkshire  are  also  dark  colored  pigs,  but  not  so  black  as 
the  Essex,  and  have  also  white  spots  on  the  head  and  feet. 
There  are  large  and  small  Berkshires.  The  Yorkshires 
are  white,  but  occasionally  dark  spots  show  themselves 
on  the  skin,  and  these  are  not  considered  decisive  evidence 
that  the  pigs  are  not  thorough-bred.  There  are  small, 
medium,  and  large,  or  mammoth,  Yorkshires. 

The  Essex  will,  at  maturity,  dress  from  400  to  450  Ibs. 
They  are  the  largest  of  the  small  breeds.  Berkshires 
often  exceed  this  weight,  but  when  such  is  the  case,  they 
would  be  classed  as  Large  Berkshires.  The  Prince  Albert 
Suffolks  are  small  Yorkshires. 

The  leading  breeds,  originating  in  the  United  States, 
are  the  Cheshires,  or  Jefferson  County,  the  Chester 
Whites,  or  Chester  County,  and  the  Magie,  or  Butler 
County  pigs.  The  China-Polands,  or  China,  and  Big 
Polands,  are  said  to  be  the  same  breed  as  the  Magie,  or 
Butler  County.  The  Illinois  Swine  Breeders'  Association, 
at  its  meeting  in  1870,  resolved  to  call  them  the  "Magie" 
breed.  -  They  are  a  large,  coarse  breed,  with  black  and 
white,  and  occasionally  sandy,  spots.  Like  the  Chester 
Whites,  they  will  doubtless  afford  splendid  sows  for 
crossing  with  Essex,  Berkshire,  or  other  refined  thorough- 


SUMMARY.  233 

bred  boars.     The  Jefferson  County  are  a  very  handsome 
white  breed,  essentially  Yorkshires. 

Pigs  should  always  have  access  to  fresh  water.  No 
matter  how  "  sloppy  "  the  food  is,  or  how  much  dish-water 
is  furnished,  they  should  be  furnished  with  pure  water. 
We  are  satisfied  that  pigs  often  suffer  for  want  of  it. 

Salt,  sulphur,  charcoal,  ashes,  bone-dust,  or  superphos- 
phate, should  occasionally  be  placed  where  the  pigs  can 
eat  what  they  wish  of  them. 

If  thoroughly  boiled,  pigs  will  eat  beans,  though  they 
are  not  fond  of  them.  Peas  they  eat  witli  avidity,  and 
when  as  cheap  as  corn,  should  be  fed  in  preference,  as 
they  afford  much  the  richest  manure.  Half  peas  and 
half  corn  is  probably  better  than  either  alone.  Peas 
make  very  firm  pork. 

Oil-cake,  when  fed  in  large  quantities,  injures  the  flavor 
and  quality  of  the  pork,  but  we  have  fed  small  quantities 
of  it,  with  decided  advantage  to  the  health  and  rapid 
growth  of  the  pigs,  without  any  apparent  injury  to  the 
lard  or  pork.  It  is  quite  useful  for  breeding  sows.  It 
keeps  the  bowels  loose,  and  increases  the  quantity  and 
quality  of  the  milk. 

Bran,  except  in  small  quantities,  is  not  a  valuable  food 
for  fattening  pigs.  It  is  too  bulky.  But  when  rich,  con- 
centrated food  is  given,  such  as  corn,  barley,  peas,  or  oil- 
cake, pigs  should  be  allowed  all  the  bran  they  will  eat, 
placed  in  a  separate  trough.  In  this  way  it  becomes  a 
very  useful  and  almost  indispensable  article  to  the  pig 
feeder.  It  is  also  very  useful  for  breeding  sows. 

The  best  roots  to  raise  for  pigs  are  parsnips  and  mangel 
wurzel. 

The  period  of  gestation  in  a  sow  is  almost  invariably 
sixteen  weeks.  In  three  or  four  days  after  pigging,  a  sow 
in  good  condition  will  generally  take  the  boar.  But,  as  a 
rule,  it  is  not  well  to  allow  it.  If  she  passes  this  period, 
she  will  not  take  the  boar  until  after  the  pigs  are  weaned. 


234  HARRIS    ON   THE    PIG. 

If  she  fails  the  first  time,  she  will  "  come  round  again  " 
in  from  two  to  three  weeks. 

For  mild  cases  of  diarrhoea,  nothing  is  better  than 
fresh,  skimmed  milk  thickened  with  wheat  flour. 

Pigs  should  be  castrated  a  week  or  so  before  they  are 
weaned. 

Nothing  in  the  management  of  pigs  is  more  important 
than  to  provide  a  trough  for  the  sucking  pigs,  separate 
from  the  sow,  and  to  commence  feeding  them  when  two 
or  three  weeks  old. 

Many  of  the  diseases  of  pigs  are  contagious,  and  the 
instant  a  pig  is  observed  to  be  sick,  it  should  be  removed 
to  a  separate  pen.  And  it  would  be  well  to  regard  this 
single  case  of  sickness  as  an  indication  that  something  is 
wrong  in  the  general  management  of  the  pigs.  Clean 
out  the  pens,  scald  the  troughs,  scraj>e  out  all  decaying 
matter  from  under  and  around  them,  sprinkle  chloride  of 
lime  about  the  pen,  or,  what  is  probably  better,  carbolic 
acid.  Dry  earth  is  a  cheap  and  excellent  disinfectant. 
Use  it  liberally  at  all  times.  Whitewash  the  walls  of  the 
pens.  Wash  all  the  inside  and  outside  wood-work, 
troughs,  plank  floors,  etc.,  with  crude  petroleum.  It  is 
the  cheapest  and  best  antiseptic  yet  discovered. 

To  destroy  lice,  wash  the  pig  all  over  with  crude  pe- 
troleum, and  the  next  day  give  him  a  thorough  washing 
with  warm  soft  water  and  soap,  with  the  free  use  of  a 
scrubbing  brush. 

In  the  absence  of  anything  better,  we  use  petroleum 
for  all  diseases  of  the  skin  in  pigs,  flesh  wounds,  etc. 

For  a  mild  blister,  in  cases  of  cold,  or  threatened  inflam- 
mation of  the  lungs,  foment  the  body,  under  the  forelegs, 
for  an  hour  or  so  with  cloths  wrung  out  of  hot  water, 
and  rub  on  a  little  saleratus  or  soda  occasionally  during 
the  operation,  to  soften  the  skin,  then  apply  petroleum. 
This  will  then  act  as  a  mild  irritant,  and  heal  at  the  same 
time. 


SUMMARY.  235 

Mange,  or  itch,  is  caused  by  a  minute  insect,  which  is 
probably  hatched  from,  eggs  adhering  to  the  skin.  There 
is  no  way  of  curing  it,  or  of  preventing  its  spread,  except 
by  killing  the  insects  and  their  eggs — not  only  on  the 
pigs  themselves,  but  also  on  the  sides  of  the  pens,  posts, 
or  anything  that  the  diseased  pig  rubs  against.  To  de- 
stroy them  on  the  wood-work,  nothing  is  probably  so 
good  as  petroleum,  and  though  we  have  not  tried  it,  we 
have  little  doubt  that  it  would  also  cure  the  pigs,  espe- 
cially if  applied  before  the  disease  has  made  much  head- 
way. 

The  disease  usually  manifests  itself  on  the  thin  skin 
under  the  armpits  and  thighs,  and  inside  the  forelegs. 
At  first,  small  red  blotches  or  pimples  appear,  and  these 
gradually  spread  as  the  insects  multiply  and  burrow  under 
the  skin.  It  is  well  to  give  sulphur  and  other  cooling 
medicine  in  the  food,  but  the  real  aim  must  be  to  kill  the 
insects  by  the  prompt  and  continued  use  of  carbolic  acid, 
petroleum,  or  a  strong  decoction  of  tobacco.  Solutions 
of  arsenic  and  corrosive  sublimate  are  used  in  severe 
cases,  but  are  dangerous  articles  to  place  in  the  hands  of 
inexperienced  persons.  "  Unguentum,"  or  mercurial  oint- 
ment, is  efficacious,  but  is  not  easily  applied. 

Measles  should  be  regarded  as  an  evidence  of  bad  treat- 
ment. In-and-in  breeding,  dirty  pens,  impure  food,  and 
especially  allowing  them  to  eat  the  droppings  of  other 
animals,  are  probably  some  of  the  causes  of  this  disease. 
Where  fattening  pigs  are  fed  on  whole  corn,  and  the 
store  pigs  or  breeding  sows  are  allowed  to  eat  their  drop- 
pings, which  they  frequently  do,  it  should  surprise  no  one 
if  these  pigs,  or,  still  more  likely,  their  offspring,  are  at- 
tacked with  measles.  From  the  investigations  of  Dr. 
Thudicum  and  others,  it  is  now  clearly  proved  that  mea- 
sles in  pigs  is  caused  by  small  entozoa,  or  internal  para- 
sites, which  are  embryo  forms  of  the  common  tapeworm. 
Measly  pork  is  a  fruitful  source  of  tapeworms,  and  is  unfit 


216  HARRIS    ON   THE    PIG. 

for  human  food.  We  cannot  too  earnestly  caution  our 
readers  against  breeding  from  pigs  that  have  ever  been 
affected  with  measles,  or  allowing  their  breeding  sows 
to  eat  the  droppings  of  other  animals,  and  especially  of 
their  own.  Raw  flesh  meat,  too,  should  never  be  fed  to 
pigs.  It  contains  the  embryo  tapeworms,  and  will  be 
quite  likely  to  produce  measles  either  in  the  pigs  eating  it 
or  in  their  offspring.  Dogs  are  notoriously  subject  to 
tapeworms  (probably  from  eating  raw  flesh),  and  where 
the  dog  tax  is  not  enforced,  we  may  expect  measly  pork. 

The  seat  of  measles  is  the  cellular  matter  immediately 
under  the  skin.  On  the  skin  itself,  in  pigs  affected  with 
this  disease,  will  be  found  a  number  of  small  watery  pus- 
tules, of  a  reddish  color,  and  it  is  attended  with  cough, 
fever,  pustules  under  the  tongue,  discharge  from  the  nose, 
running  from  the  eyes,  weakness  of  the  hind  legs,  and 
other  indications  of  general  debility.  Unless  neglected, 
the  disease  seldom  proves  fatal.  Sulphur,  saltpeter,  Epsom 
salts,  or  other  cooling  medicines  should  be  given,  with 
a  liberal  supply  of  wholesome,  nutritious,  and  easily  di- 
gested food. 

Rheumatism  is  not  an  uncommon  disease,  especially  in 
thorough-bred  pigs,  when  kept  in  damp  sties,  or  furnished 
with  rich  food  one  week  and  poor  food  the  next,  or  kept 
in  a  warm,  ill-ventilated  sty,  and  then  exposed  to  storms, 
and  otherwise  badly  treated.  The  remedy  is  Rochelle 
salts,  good  treatment,  and  liberal  feeding.  Give  the  salt 
for  two  or  three  days,  say  one  ounce  a  day  for  a  100-lb. 
pig,  and  less,  or  more,  according  to  size,  and  then  omit 
them  for  a  few  days. 

Protrusion  of  the  rectum,  especially  with  young  pigs 
suffering  from  a  severe  attack  of  diarrhoea,  is  not  uncom- 
mon. Wash  the  gut  with  warm  water,  rub  on  a  little 
laudanum,  and  then  gently  press  the  part  back  into  its 
place,  pushing  up  the  finger  for  a  short  distance.  A  little 
sucking  pig  may  have  five  drops  of  laudanum. 


SUMMARY.  237 

Pigs  should  be  provided  with  scratching  posts,  having 
auger-holes  for  pegs  at  different  heights,  to  accommodate 
pigs  of  different  sizes. 

Stephens,  in  his  "  Book  of  the  Farm,"  gives  the  follow- 
ing description  of  what  may  be  considered  the  perfection 
of  form  in  a  fat  pig  :  "  The  back  should  be  nearly  straight, 
and  though  arched  a  little  from  head  to  tail,  that  is  no 
fault.  The  back  should  be  uniformly  broad,  and  rounded 
across  along  the  whole  body.  The  touch  all  along  the 
back  should  be  firm,  but  springy,  the  thinnest  skin  spring- 
ing most.  The  shoulders,  sides,  and  hams,  should  be 
deep  perpendicularly,  and  in  a  straight  line  from  shoulder 
to  ham.  The  closing  behind  should  be  filled  up  ;  the  legs 
short  and  bone  small ;  the  neck  short,  thick,  and  deep ; 
the  cheeks  round,  and  filled  out ;  the  face  straight,  nose 
fine,  eyes  bright,  ears  pricked,  and  the  head  small  in  pro- 
portion to  the  body.  A  curled  tail  is  indicative  of  a 
strong  back.  All  these  characteristics,"  he  adds,  "  may 
be  seen  in  the  figure  of  the  brood  sow  (fig.  52,  page  180), 
though,  of  course,  the  sow  is  not  in  the  fattened  state." 


233  HARRIS    ON   THE    PIG. 

CHAPTER    XXVL 

APPENDIX. 

J.  Mackelcan,  Esq.,  one  of  the  editors  of  the  Canada 
Farmer,  and  an  intelligent  and  careful  observer,  favors  us 
with  the  following  notes  in  regard  to  his  management  of 
pigs. 

"  My  plan  of  keeping  store  bogs  over  winter  was  to  give  them  a  good 
warm  sty,  with  abundance  of  room  and  well  littered  with  straw.  They 
were  fed  on  a  mess  made  of  boiled  Swede  turnips,  mixed  with  pea  chaff 
and  finely  cut  clover  hay;  the  turnips,  after  being  boiled  soft,  were 
placed  in  a  barrel,  and  the  chaff  and  cut  hay  mashed  into  them.  In  ad- 
dition, they  got  all  the  refuse  of  the  kitchen  ;  what  milk  that  could  be 
spared  from  the  dairy  being  given  to  the  late  dropped  fall  pigs,  which 
had  a  separate  sty  to  themselves.  As  soon  as  the  clover  was  well  up  in 
spring,  they  had  the  run  of  a  clover  field,  on  which  they  seemed  to 
thrive,  so  that,  when  put  up  to  fatten,  at  12  to  16  months  old  they  were 
about  300  Ibs.  weight  each.  Being  in  good  condition,  the  process  of 
fatting  did  not  take  more  than  three  or  four  weeks ;  they  were  al- 
lowed all  they  could  eat  of  peas  that  had  been  soaked  in  water  until  they 
were  soft  and  had  begun  to  ferment.  Generally  speaking,  hogs  are  fat- 
ted here  by  simply  giving  them  hard,  whole  peas  as  much  as  they  can 
eat  for  about  a  month,  sometimes  in  the  field  where  they  grew,  the  hogs 
being  put  up  in  a  corner  and  fed  from  the  stack ;  but  it  is  a  wasteful 
process.  The  best  farmers  prefer  to  either  grind  the  peas  and  then  mix 
with  a  little  water,  enough  to  make  into  dough,  or,  if  there  is  no  mill 
near  enough  to  grind  them,  to  soak  the  whole  peas  in  water  until  soft, 
and  then  feed  to  the  hogs.  The  Berkshires  (the  breed  I  kept)  seem  to 
have  an  aptitude  for  eating  and  thriving  on  clover;  my  plan  with  the 
young  spring  pigs  was  to  take  them  from  the  sow  at  eight  weeks  old,  shut 
them  up  for  a  few  days,  and  feed  on  sour  milk  or  buttermilk  in  which  a 
little  shorts  or  meal  had  been  stirred.  As  soon  as  the  clover  was  pretty 
well  grown,  say  about  the  beginning  of  May,  put  them  in  a  small  pad- 
dock by  themselves.  The  paddock  must  be  well  seeded  with  a  succulent 
growth  of  young  clover,  and  can  be  made  of  rails  or  boards  in  a  corner 
of  a  clover  field,  but  must  be  close  enough  near  the  bottom  to  keep  the 
pigs  from  getting  out.  To  prevent  rooting,  they  had  better  be  ringed. 
The  young  pigs  will  live  and  thrive  on  the  clover  all  summer  as  long  as 
there  is  plenty  of  it.  In  addition,  they  should  have  all  the  spare  milk  or 
whey  from  the  dairy,  with  some  meal  occasionally,  or,  if  there  is  no 


APPENDIX.  239 

milk,  allow  each  half  a  pound  of  meal  per  day  in  water.  They  must  have 
enough  to  drink,  a  little  salt  once  in  a  while,  a  shed  with  a  tight  roof  to 
shelter  them  from  rain  storms  or  hot  suus,  and  a  few  shovelfuls  of  dry 
ashes  in  which  to  wallow  and  keep  off  lice.  This  last  may  be  omitted 
of  only  given  once  in  a  while.  For  young  pigs,  meal  should  always  be 
cooked  or  scalded,  as  raw  meal  is  apt  to  give  them  the  scours.  They 
should  also  have  free  access  to  charcoal.  It  is  not  good  for  them 
to  eat  ashes,  nor  will  they,  if  they  have  charcoal ;  but  an  ash  heap  to 
wallow  in  will  keep  them  free  from  lice  and  fleas.  I  should  also  add 
that  my  store  hogs  readily  eat  fresh  cut,  green  clover,  so  that,  if  they  have 
but  a  small  paddock  and  eat  it  all  down,  they  can  be  fed  cut  clover  thrown 
over  the  fence  to  them." 

F.  W.  Stone,  Esq.,  Moreton  Lodge,  Guelph,  Ontario, 
writes : 

"  I  consider  the  improved  Berkshire  the  most  useful  breed  for  far- 
mers. With  pigs,  as  with  every  other  kind  of  improved  stock,  farmers 
should  use  nothing  but  pure-bred  male  animals.  Many  farmers  send 
their  sows  to  a  pure-bred  boar,  and  are  so  well  pleased  with  the  young 
pigs,  that  they  select  one  of  them  for  a  boar,  and  in  this  way  the  im- 
provement is  soon  lost.  *  *  There  are  many  unprincipled  men  who 
sell  grades  for  pure  breeds,  and  those  who  purchase  them  are  disappoint- 
ed in  trying  to  improve  their  stock.  The  breeders  of  pure-bred  stock 
Buffer  more  from  the  false  representations  of  such  persons  than  in  any 
other  way.  Parties,  when  commencing  to  breed,  or  wishing  to  improve 
their  common  stock,  should  purchase  only  from  reliable  breeders,  and 
not  from  jobbers  or  traders,  who  sell  anything  they  can  make  money 
by.  The  young  breeder  should  select  the  most  perfect  animals  he  can 
find.  It  is  better,  in  commencing,  to  invest  money  in  quality  rather 
than  in  numbers. 

u  I  believe  it  is  better  for  young  sows  not  to  have  pigs  until  they  are 
14  or  16  months  old,  though,  if  the  pigs  have  been  well  fed,  and  proper- 
ly cared  for  since  they  were' farrowed,  good  litters  may  often  be  obtained 
at  12  months.  A  sow,  not  well  fed,  is  generally  pulled  down  too  much 
to  gain  the  size  she  otherwise  would,  by  having  her  first  litter  before 
she  is  12  mouths  old. 

"In  Canada,  pigs  are  generally  fed  with  pea-meal,  or  peas  and  oats, 
chopped  and  mixed  with  potatoes  or  boiled  turnips.  It  is  my  opinion 
that  regularity  in  feeding  is  an  exceedingly  important  point.  Those, 
who  throw  down,  at  one  time,  double  the  amount  of  food  the  pigs  can 
eat,  and  then  let  the  proper  time  go  by  without  feeding  anything,  find 
that  their  pork  costs  them  double  what  it  costs  a  careful  and  regular 
feeder  who  takes  pleasure  in  watching  his  pigs  eat." 

James  Howard,  M.  P.,  of  Bedford,  England,  a  very 
successful  breeder  of  Large  or  Medium  Yorkshires,  writes : 
"  Mr.  Fisher,  of  Carhead,  Yorkshire,  has  published  a  capi- 


240  HARKIS    ON   THE    PIG. 

tal  lecture  he  delivered  on  the  management  of  pigs,  which 
I  will  send  you.  I  enclose  also  a  letter  from  Mr.  Sidney. 

"  The  White  Leicesters  have  disappeared.  They  had  little  or  no  hair. 
The  large  Yorks  (not  the  Mammoth)  are  the  most  profitable  as  thjey 
grow  so  fast,  and  are  turned  into  money  quickly. 

"  There  are  no  such  animals  as  pure  Suffolks.  They  are  the  Fisher 
Hobbs  Essex  variety. 

"If  you  want  sows  to  breed  well,  do  not  keep  them  too  fat,  nor  yet 
in  a  weakly  condition.  Let  them  have  a  field  to  run  about  in.  We  used 
to  fat  a  great  many  '  porkers '  with  pulped  roots,  straw,  chaff,  and  Indian 
corn,  but  we  have  now  such  a  large  demand  for  breeding  pigs,  that  we 
have  none  loft  for  fatting.  With  respect  to  feeding,  the  food  should  be 
given  warm,  not  hot." 

From  this  last  remark  I  conclude  that  the  pulped  roots, 
chaff,  and  Indian  meal  were  cooked. 

The  following  is  an  extract  from  Mr.  Sidney's  letter 
to  Mr.  Howard : 

"  I  do  not  think  our  pigs  have  improved  during  the  last  ten  years 
[since  Mr.  Sidney's  book  was  written].  On  the  contrary,  our  Shows 
are  likely  to  cultivate  fat  at  the  expense  of  constitution.  I  think  Mr. 
Harris  mistakes  my  advice.  [I  thought  he  condemned  the  use  of  an 
Essex  or  Berkshire  boar  with  a  white  sow.]  A  cross  of  black  and  white 
answers  well  for  feeding,  as  most  first  crosses  do.  I  observe  that  black 
pigs  have  made  their  way  in  Yorkshire." 

The  following  extracts  are  from  Mr.  John  Fisher's  lec- 
ture on  the  breeding  and  management  of  pigs,  alluded  to 
by  Mr.  Howard.  Mr.  Fisher  is  the  manager  of  Carhead 
Farm,  near  Crosshills,  Yorkshire,  and  an  experienced  and 
successful  breeder.  We  should  remark  that  Carhead  is  a 
grass  farm,  and  all  the  food  for  the  pigs  is  purchased.  Mr. 
F.  says: 

"  I  am  a  decided  advocate  for  early  breeding  and  early  feeding,  and 
consider  October  or  November  the  best  time  for  putting  sows  to  the 
boar  for  the  general  crop.  They  will  then  bring  their  litter  in  March, 
and  get  them  weaned,  and  take  the  boar  again  early  in  May,  so  that  their 
second  litter  may  get  strong  enough  to  stand  the  winter ;  and  if  the 
young  sows,  bred  in  March,  have  been  liberally  fed,  and  allowed  plenty  of 
exercise  during  the  summer,  they  will  be  quite  ready  to  take  the  boar  in 
November,  and  bring  their  first  litter  at  twelve  months  old.  And  we 
consider  this  the  best  way  either  to  commence  or  increase  a  stock  of 
breeding  pigs,  and  should  not  endorse  the  claim  to  early  maturity  in  any 
breed  of  pigs,  if  they  were  not  unfit  to  rear  a  litter  of  young  at  twelve 


APPENDIX.  241 

months  old.  If  young  sows  are  allowed  to  run  until  they  are  twelve  or 
fifteen  months  old  before  they  are  put  to  breeding,  they  are  very  apt  to 
miss  their  way  altogether ;  and  we  find  that  the  most  successful  breed- 
ers are  those  which  are  put  to,  when  young,  and  are  kept  regularly 
breeding;  consequently  we  do  not  disappoint  them,  but  allow  them  to 
bring  two  litters  a  year.  After  their  first  litter  we  keep  them  sparingly, 
except  when  suckling.  When  they  have  weaned  their  spring  litter,  and 
have  taken  the  boar  again,  they  are  turned  into  a  grass  field,  in  which 
there  is  a  large  shed,  with  rails  across  the  doorway  to  prevent  cattle  en- 
tering. In  this  shed  they  sleep  at  night,  or  retire  in  rainy  weather.  If 
the  grass  is  not  very  plentiful,  we  give  about  a  pint  each  of  Indian  corn 
per  day,  scattering  it  on  the  grass,  and  they  can  drink  water  from  a  stone 
trough  which  is  fed  by  a  spring,  and  placed  near  the  ground  that  they 
may  reach  it  conveniently.  But  they  mostly  gain  so  much  flesh  from 
being  well  fed  while  suckling,  that  they  require  little  more  than  grass ; 
and  some  which  have  had  nothing  else,  have  done  as  well  as  we  could 
wish  them. 

"  When  the  sows  are  brought  into  the  breeding  house,  they  are  at 
once  put  on  the  same  kind  of  food  as  will  be  continued  to  them  while 
they  are  suckling.  They  are  turned  out  for  a  few  minutes  twice  a  day, 
before  feeding,  which  keeps  the  bowels  in  proper  order,  and  the  house 
dry  and  sweet,  for  it  is  very  important  that  the  bowels  are  open  at  this 
time,  for,  if  constipated,  the  milk  will  not  come  freely,  and  the  young 
seldom  do  well ;  besides  which,  it  interferes  with  the  free  passage  of  the 
urine,  causing  great  uneasiness,  and,  if  not  removed,  it  would  lead  to 
serious  consequences,  for  which  purpose  we  give  frequent  injections  of 
warm  water,  and  walk  the  patient  carefully  out,  for  a  few  minutes  at  a 
time,  until  we  see  that  the  obstruction  has  passed.  Sometimes  we  mix 
a  little  common  soap  in  the  warm  water,  and  have  never  experienced 
much  difficulty  when  these  means  have  been  used. 

"We  give  a  moderate  bed  of  short  straw  three  or  four  days  before 
they  are  expected  to  farrow,  that  it  may  become  soft  by  the  time  they 
are  due,  which,  as  the  time  approaches,  they  will  collect  on  a  heap,  and 
place  themselves  upon  it  in  such  a  manner  that  by  raising  the  body  it 
assists  them  in  their  efforts  during  parturition,  and  this,  as  well  as  most 
other  matters  at  this  time,  we  leave  entirely  to  themselves,  believing 
that  they  can  mostly  manage  their  own  business  best  without  our  inter- 
ference. And  except  with  very  fat  sows,  or  during  very  cold  weather, 
we  do  not  remain  with  them  while  farrowing,  but  give  an  occasional  eye 
to  them  to  see  that  there  is  no  unusual  delay.  If  the  presentations  are 
proper,  they  will  often  pass  three  or  four  in  as  many  minutes,  but  when 
the  hind  feet  are  presented  foremost,  they  get  on  slowly,  and  sometimes 
half  the  litter  will  come  in  this  way,  but  assistance  in  such  cases  will  mostly 
do  more  harm  than  good,  for  in  drawing  the  birth  by  the  hind  legs,  the 
viscera  is  forced  into  the  chest,  and  the  life  is  thereby  endangered  to  no 
purpose,  for  if  ever  they  get  so  far  on  their  way  as  to  be  within  the  reach 
of  ordinary  aid,  they  will  be  passed  safer  without  it. 
11 


242  HAEEIS   ON  THE   PIG. 

"  The  pigs  usually  begin  to  eat  along  with  the  mother  when  about 
three  weeks  old,  but  may  be  learnt  much  younger  if  a  little  warm  milk 
be  given  to  them  two  or  three  times  a  day,  while  the  sow  is  removed 
from  them  for  a  few  minutes.  About  the  time  they  begin  to  eat,  they 
frequently  suffer  from  diarrhoea,  which,  if  it  continue  for  any  length  of 
time,  will  weaken  them  very  much.  The  disorder  will  sometimes  be 
caused  by  allowing  the  mother  to  eat  grass  or  other  green  food  when 
turned  out,  or  even  by  a  change  from  one  kind  of  meat  to  another,  for 
which  reason  we  avoid  as  far  as  we  can  any  change  of  food  during  the 
time  they  are  suckling,  and  continue  the  same  to  the  young  after  they 
are  weaned.  And  as  it  is  very  difficult  as  well  as  dangerous  to  administer 
medicine  to  them  by  force,  we  do  not  attempt  to  relieve  them  by  that 
means,  neither  can  they  be  induced  to  take  it  if  mixed  with  their  food, 
for  they  will  not  eat  at  such  times,  but  depend  entirely  on  the  teat,  for 
which  reasons  we  diet  the  mother  carefully,  and  allow  as  much  small 
coal  as  she  will  eat,  throwing  a  shovelful  upon  the  bed,  that  the  young 
ones  may  eat  a  little  if  they  like ;  we  also  strew  the  floor  with  sawdust 
to  prevent  bad  smells,  keeping  them  warm,  and  giving  as  much  fresh  air 
as  possible.  If  the  purging  continues,  we  change  them  to  a  fresh  sty, 
taking  care  that  it  is  dry  and  warm,  and  well  aired.  If  young  pigs  can 
be  allowed  a  run  out  with  the  mother  for  half  an  hour  in  the  morning 
and  evening,  they  will  grow  all  the  faster  for  it ;  but  the  middle  of  the 
day,  when  the  sun  is  hot,  should  be  avoided,  for  if  their  backs  get  much 
scorched  it  will  retard  their  growth  for  a  while. 

"All  such  as  are  not  required  for  breeding  purposes,  should  be  cas- 
trated at  from  four  to  five  weeks  old,  that  they  may  recover  before  they 
are  weaned.  There  are  two  ways  of  doing  most  things,  and  the  best 
way  is  generally  the  easier,  and  always  to  be  preferred,  and  in  catching 
young  pigs  for  castration,  or  any  other  purpose,  great  care  should  be 
used,  as  they  are  easily  lamed,  and  having  covered  the  window  and  closed 
the  door  to  exclude  the  light,  the  operator  should  allow  them  to  settle 
quietly  in  a  corner,  and  taking  the  right  hind  leg  with  his  right  hand, 
then  with  his  left  hand  he  should  lay  firmly  hold  of  the  same  leg,  above 
the  hough  joint,  and  quickly  passing  his  right  hand  forward,  and  under 
the  chest,  lay  firmly  hold  of  the  left  fore  leg,  and  raise  the  pig  with  his 
right  hand,  using  as  little  force  as  possible  on  the  hind  legs,  and  never 
hold  them  up  by  the  heels,  as  the  intestines  are  liable  to  get  twisted  if 
held  in  that  position. 

"  We  usually  wean  at  from  seven  to  ten  weeks  old,  and  separate  the 
boars  from  the  sows  soon  after.  We  seldom  keep  more  than  five  or  six 
together  in  the  same  sty,  and  as  they  grow  larger,  we  reduce  the  num- 
ber, in  proportion  to  the  size  of  the  sty. 

"The  feeder  commences  in  the  morning  about  seven  o'clock,  begin- 
ning at  one  end,  and  regulating  the  food  according  to  circumstances, 
and  as  he  goes  on,  he  rouses  every  pig  up,  and  sees  that  all  come  to  take 
their  breakfast ;  should  any  refuse  he  reports  the  case ;  and  having  fin- 
ished feeding  he  takes  his  barrow,  fork,  shovel,  and  besom,  and  proceeds 


APPENDIX.  243 

in  the  same  order  to  clean  the  sties ;  for,  on  being  roused  up,  after  lay- 
ing still  all  night,  they  empty  themselves  while  eating,  and  this  becomes 
habitual  and  keeps  their  beds  clean  and  dry,  which  is  a  matter  of  great 
importance  to  us,  as  we  have  all  our  straw  to  buy  at  a  dear  rate,  and 
have  to  economise  it  accordingly,  for  which  reason  most  of  our  sties  are 
provided  with  wooden  sleeping  benches  similar  to  that  given  in  the  de- 
scription of  the  breeding  house.  So  proceeding  to  No.  1,  he  turns  the 
occupants  out,  shakes  up  the  bed,  sweeps  all  clean,  and  taking  up  with 
the  shovel  what  had  to  be  removed,  he  places  it  in  the  barrow,  returns 
them  to  their  sty  again,  and  passing  on  to  No.  2,  treating  them  in  the 
same  way,  and  so  on  to  the  end.  By  this  means  the  sties  are  kept  clean 
during  the  greater  part  of  the  day ;  while  out,  they  have  free  access  to 
a  heap  of  small  coal,  which  is  kept  in  a  corner  of  the  yard  entirely  for 
their  use,  of  which  they  seldom  fail  to  avail  themselves,  whenever  they 
have  an  opportunity ;  there  is  also  a  trough  with  water,  of  which  they 
sometimes  drink  a  little. 

"  To  enable  pigs  to  thrive  properly,  they  must  be  kept  in  a  state  of 
robust  health,  for  which  purpose,  proper  shelter  and  a  certain  amount 
of  exercise,  is  quite  as  necessary  as  good  feeding,  and  all  dark,  damp, 
crampy  sties  should  be  avoided.  There  is  no  place  in  which  young 
growing  stores  do  better  than  a  good  straw-yard  during  the  winter 
months. 

"Pigs  will  occasionally  catch  cold,  especially  when  in  low  condition; 
but,  if  taken  in  time,  and  placed  in  a  warm  sty  by  themselves,  with  a 
little  extra  nursing,  such  as  warm  milk  and  water,  with  a  little  bran  or 
pollard,  not  forgetting  the  warm  water  injections  if  the  bowels  get  out 
of  order,  they  will  mostly  be  right  again  in  a  few  days.  If  the  case  be  a 
bad  one,  and  accompanied  by  much  fever,  and  the  patient  will  lie  still, 
we  cover  up  with  a  wet  rag,  leaving  only  the  nose  out,  pouring  cold  wa- 
ter on  to  saturate  it  thoroughly,  and  then  cover  up  with  two  or  three 
sacks  to  keep  the  steam  in,  and  have  found  this  bath  give  very  great  re- 
lief. Pigs  have  a  very  great  objection  to  any  kind  of  restraint,  as  well 
as  a  strong  dislike  to  physic,  and  if  held  for  the  purpose  of  administer- 
ing it,  they  struggle  and  scream  so  much,  that  they  do  themselves  more 
harm  by  it,  than  the  medicine  is  likely  to  do  them  good ;  besides,  if  not 
done  in  a  careful  manner,  there  is  great  danger  in  forcing  any  liquid 
into  their  mouths,  for  if  introduced  while  they  are  screaming,  they  are 
almost  certain  to  be  choked  by  it,  so  that  the  operator  must  wait  until 
they  have  done  screaming,  which  will  mostly  be  when  they  are  out  of 
breath  and  cannot  go  on  any  longer,  for  which  reason  we  have  not  used 
medicine  for  several  years  past.  They  have  also  a  very  decided  objec- 
tion to  strangers  being  admitted  into  their  society,  even  if  one  of  their 
fellows  leave  them  for  a  few  days,  on  their  return  they  are  beset  and 
worried  in  a  most  unfriendly  manner ;  and  if  the  intruder  cannot  find 
means  of  retreat,  they  will  often  get  cut  and  gored  a  good  deal;  where 
the  teeth  penetrate  beyond  the  skin,  swellings  will  arise,  which  if  they 
become  very  large,  they  may  be  carefully  opened  with  a  lance,  or  sharp 


244  HABKIS    ON   THE   PIG. 

pointed  knife,  on  the  lower  side,  directing  the  point  upwards,  that  the 
matter  may  escape,  when  they  will  soon  heal  without  further  trouble. 

"  Fat  heavy  pigs  are  easily  lamed  in  the  hind-quarters  or  hind  legs, 
and  should  be  very  carefully  driven  over  slippery  or  uneven  ground. 
When  so  lamed,  the  butcher  is  the  best  remedy  and  the  sooner  the  bet- 
ter, as  they  lose  flesh  fast,  when  they  come  to  lie  and  cannot  rise  easily. 
They  are  also  subject  to  rheumatic  attacks,  especially  in  the  hind  legs, 
which  may  easily  be  mistaken  for  accidental  lameness  ;  sometimes  they 
will  suddenly  become  lame  in  one  leg,  and  then  the  lameness  will  as 
suddenly  change  to  the  other,  or  perhaps  leave  them  altogether.  I  con- 
sulted Professor  Simonds,  of  the  Royal  Veterinary  College,  on  this  dis- 
ease, and  he  recommended  a  strong  stimulating  liniment,  or  liquid 
blister  to  be  applied  to  the  hough  joint,  and  well  rubbed  in,  and  I  have 
used  it  with  very  beneficial  results ;  also,  if  confined  for  any  length  of 
time  where  the  wet  litter  is  allowed  to  accumulate  under  them,  their 
hoofs  grow  to  a  great  length,  and  the  feet  become  unsound  and  full  of 
Clefts,  when  the  hoofs  should  be  shortened,  for  which  purpose  we  use  a 
pair  of  strong,  wire-clipping  pinchers,  taking  care  not  to  injure  the  sensi- 
tive part  of  the  foot,  and  trim  with  a  shepherd's  knife ;  and  for  diseased 
feet  we  have  found  nothing  so  good  as  a  bran  poultice,  with  two  or  three 
spoonfuls  of  fresh  brewer's  yeast  mixed  with  it,  and  put  in  a  strong  bag 
or  boot,  into  which  the  foot  is  introduced,  and  secured  with  a  string 
when  the  animal  is  laid  down.  It  may  fye  kept  wet  by  pouring  water  on 
it  two  or  three  times  a  day,  and  changed  daily." 

T.  L.  Harison,  Esq.,  Morley,  St.  Lawrence  Co.,  1ST.  Y., 
writes : 

"  I  do  not  think  I  can  give  you  any  ideas  of  value  as  to  the  breeds  and 
breeding  of  pigs,  for  my  experience  has  been  with  Suffolks  only,  and 
the  breeding  them  has  been  with  me  a  matter  of  great  simplicity,  and  in 
which  I  have  found  no  difficulties  to  contend  with.  I  have  found  the 
Suffolks  hardy,  prolific,  good  nurses,  and  good  feeders.  Those  who 
have  had  barren  sows  have,  I  think,  allowed  them  to  get  too  fat  before 
breeding.  This  is  the  only  risk  that  I  know  of,  and  it  is  to  be  guarded 
against.  My  plan  was  to  keep  over  such  young  sows  as  I  selected  for 
breeders  generally  from  fall  litters,  hut  seldom  from  spring  litters. 
These  were  usually  kept  in  a  yard  or  in  a  small  grass  field,  so  that  they 
were  on  the  ground  and  had  plenty  of  exercise,  and  when  served  about 
December  1st  would  be  from  14  to  16  months  old  and  in  fair  (extra,  per- 
haps) store  condition.  After  they  were  with  pig,  they  would  of  course 
during  the  winter  get  fat,  but  in  my  breeding  that  never  did  any  harm. 
My  only  trouble  was  in  the  loss  of  young  pigs,  in  consequence  of  the 
milk  of  their  mothers  being  too  rich.  This  makes  it  necessary  to  be 
careful  how  you  feed  the  sows  while  suckling,  and  I  found  that  bran 
with  the  refuse  of  the  house  made  a  better  food  than  grain  at  such  times. 

"  I  do  not  know  about  plans  of  pig  pens.  I  have  never  seen  any  that 
I  thought  had  much  merit.  In  fact,  I  would  never  use  pens,  except  for 


APPENDIX.  245 

fattening  hogs,  for  the  boars  in  use,  and  occasionally  for  breeding  sows 
before  farrowing ;  but,  except  in  the  first  case,  there  should  be  small 
yards  attached.  The  best  place  for  pigs  is  a  yard  with  a  well-made  shed 
attached,the  shed  having  doors  that  can  be  closed  in  very  severe  weather." 

Hon.  John  M.  Milliken,  of  Maplewood,  Hamilton, 
Ohio,  in  addition  to  the  facts  already  quoted  in  regard  to 
the  Butler  County  or  Magie  pigs,  writes  as  follows :  "  I 
wish  to  add  the  following  statement  furnished  me  by  one 
of  our  breeders,  whose  truthfulness  is  unquestioned.  He 
bred  a  sow  which  came  on  the  10th  of  June,  1866.  On 
the  18th  of  April,  1867,  she  had  11  pigs,  which  weighed, 
gross,  in  October  following,  2,735  Ibs. 

"  He  fattened  the  sow  the  winter  following,  and  her  net 
weight  was  535  Ibs.  The  sow  pigs  he  left  for  breeders, 
and  sold  5  barrows,  aged  8  months  and  20  days,  which  av- 
eraged 282  Ibs.  net.  The  history  of  this  sow  and  her  11 
pigs  proves  that  they  possessed  early  fattening  properties, 
large  size,  and  fecundity, — three  very  desirable  qualities." 


246 


HARRIS   ON  THE  PIG. 


INDEX 


Allen's,  B.  A.,  importation  of  Berk- 
shire   99 

Appendix 237 

Bakewell's,  Robert,  breed  of  pigs. .  18 

Barley,  Composition  of 133 

'*        Value  in  feeding 131 

Bean  meal,  Value  In  feeding 126 

Beans  as  food  for  pigs 233 

44      Composition  of 133 

Bedfordsmre  breed 93 

Berkshire  breed 50,  74 

"        A.  B.  Allen's  importation.  99 
**        and  Tarn  worth  cross.....  83 

•'        Crossesof 82 

"        Improved 76 

"        in  the  U.  S 98 

Black  and  Red  pigs 86 

Black  breeds 73 

Blister  for  pigs.. 284 

Boar,  Selection  of 192 

1 '     Treatment  of  thorough-bred .  206 
Bouasinganlt's  experiments  in  feed- 
ing  118 

Bran,  Composition  of. 133 

"     for  pigs 239 

"     Value  in  feeding 126 

Breeding  and  management  of  pigs 

192,  239 

Breeding,  Objects  in 15 

"        Principles  of 16 

Breeding-pens 200 

Breeds  of  pigs 14 

Breeds.  Definition  of  large,  small, 

and  medium 25 

Breeds,  Large  vs.  small 22 

"       Leading  English 232 

"       Leading  in  the  U.  S 232 

"       Modern  English 56 

"       intheU.  S 98 

"       Sidney  on  large  and  small..  32 

Buckinghamshire  breed 97 

Bushey  breed 97 

Butler  Co.,  Ohio,  pigs 113 

Cattle,  Gain  from  feeding 13 

"       Weight,  Live  and  dead 192 

Castration,  Time  for 233 

Chase's,  A.  L.,  Essex  pigs 84 


"  Cheshire  "  breed 57,  94,  111 

Chester  Co.  White  breed 105 

"        "         "        "    Hog-breed- 
ers' Manual  on.110 
"        "         "        "    Paschal 

Morrison 106 

Chinese  breed 51 

Codfish,  Composition  of 133 

"        Value  in  feeding 133 

Coleshill  breed 96 

Colds  in  young  pigs 217 

Compost,  Pig  making. 142 

Constipation 210 

Cooking  food  for  pigs 222 

Craonnaire  Boar 45 

Crosses  of  thorough-breds 35 

Culley  on  Cheshire  pigs 57 

Cumberland  small  breed 63 

Davis',  Hewitt,  experience  in  pig 

feeding 30 

Desirable  qualities  in  a  pig 20 

Devons 33,  87 

Diarrhoea  in  young  pigs 217 

Diseases  of  pigs 234 

Disinfectants 234 

Dorsets 32,  88 

Dry  earth  for  pigs 234 

"  Emperor." 53 

English  breeds,  Improvement  of. . .  47 
English  experiences  in  pig  feeding.181 
Essex,    Fisher    Hobbs'    improve- 
ments in 53,  82 

Essex,  Improved...  80 

"  "       Crossesof. 82 

"  "       Historyof. 52 

"       Imported 100 

44       Lord  Western's '82 

44       Old 52 

Experiments  in  pig  feeding. ..  .118,  122 

Fancy  breeds 95 

Fattening  pigs  near  large  cities — 178 

Feeding,  A  dairy  farmer  on 187 

44  A  Yorkshire  breeder  on..  188 
«4  A  Yorkshire  farmer  on. .  .186 
"  Dr.  M.  Miles'  experiments  118 
**  English  experience  in  — 181 
•*  Experiments  in 118 


INDEX. 


247 


Feeding  Grain 225 

"         Lawes  and  Gilbert's   ex- 
periments in 122 

"         Mineral  substances  neces- 
sary In 130 

"         Mr.  Baldwin  on 182 

"         Use  of  sugar  in 135 

Feet,  Unsound 244 

Fisher   Hobbs'    improvements   in 

Essex 53 

Fisher,  John,  Lecture  on  breeding 

and  management 239 

Food,  Cooking 222 

Form  of  a  fat  pig 236 

"     of  agoodpig 17 

French  pigs 45 

"General." 68 

German  pigs 45 

Gestation,  Period  of 233 

"  Gloucester." 67 

Good  pigs  need  good  care 37 

Grade  pigs,  Value  of.  100 

Greyhound  hog 44 

Hampshire  pig 49,  91 

Herefordshire  breed 50,  94 

Howard,  James,  M.  P.,  on  pigs 239 

Improvement  of  the  English  breeds 

of  pigs 47 

In-and-in  breeding 35 

Indian  meal,  Composition  of 133 

"         "     Value  in  feeding 126 

Intestines,  Proportion  to  weight  of 

body 11 

Itch 234 

Jealousy  an  aid  to  fattening 230 

Jefferson  County  breed Ill 

Large  vs.  small  breeds  and  crosses.  22 
Lawes   and  Gilbert's  experiments 

in  pig  feeding 122 

Lecture  by  John  Fisher 239 

Lentil  meal,  Value  in  feeding .126 

Lentils,  Composition  of 133 

"Liberator." 67 

Lice,  To  destroy 234 

Lincolnshire  breed 57,  92 

Liquid  manure 143 

Live  and  dead  weight  of  pigs 191 

Lord  Western's  Essex 52 

Mackelcan,  J.,  on  management — 237 

Magie  (Ohio)  breed 113,  245 

Management  of  pigs 175,  237 

"         of  thorough-bred  pigs.203 
Man^e 234 


Mangles',   George,   experience  in 

feeding 25 

Mangles',  George,  piggery 163 

Manure,  Table  of  value  of 139 

Manure,  The  pig  as  a  manufacturer 

of 141 

"        Value  of  liquid .143 

"        Value  to  each  100  Ibs.  of 

pork 141 

"        Value  of  pig 137 

Measles 235 

Michigan  Agricultural  College,  Pig- 
gery, etc 147 

Middlesex  breed 95 

Miles'  Dr.  M.  experiments  in  feedingllS 
Milliken,  Hon.   J.  M.,  on  Magie 

pigs 113,  245 

Mineral  food  for  pigs 130 

"Miss Emily." 70 

Modern  breeds  of  English  pigs 56 

Morris',  Paschal,  piggery 154 

Neapolitan  breed 52 

Norfolk  breed.... 93 

Nottinghamshire  breed 95 

Ogden  Farm  piggery 160 

Oil-cake  for  pigs 233 

Old  Irish  pig 44 

OldYorkshire  breed 57 

Original  Old  English  pig 43 

Origin  and  improvement  of  our  do- 
mestic pigs 41 

Oxfordshire,  Improved 85 

Ox,  Stomachof 9 

Peas  for  pigs 233 

"    Raising,  for  pigs 177 

Pen-breeding 200 

Petroleum  on  pigs 234 

Pig,  Desirable  Qualities  in 20 

Form  of  a  good 17 

Quietness  in 21 

Stomachof 9 

Pig  feeding 11 

"     Hewitt  Davis  on 30 

"     Why   they  gain   more 
rapidly  than  oxen  or  sheep. ...  12 

Pigs  on  dairy  farms 175 

"     on  grain  farms 176 

"     Origin  and  improvement  of. .  41 

"     Peasfor 177 

**     Profit  of    raising  thorough- 
bred  220 

"     require  gentle  treatment 42 

' '     Breeding  and  rearing. 193 


248 


HARRIS   ON  THE  PIG. 


Pigs,  Breeds  of. 14 

"     Cooking  food  for 222 

*'     Fattening  near  large  cities. .  .178 

"     Lame 244 

"     Management  of. 175 

"     Management     of     thorough- 
bred  , ...203 

u     Young,  Care  of 196,  242 

"          "       Catching 242 

"         "       Colds  in 217 

**         "       Diarrhoea  in 217,  243 

"         "       Feeding 212 

"         "       Management  of. 217 

"         •*       Taming 219 

"         "       Time  to  wean...  197,  242 
"         "       Treatment  of  chilled. 212 

Piggery,  The  author's 148 

"        George  Mangles' 163 

"        Michigan  Agricultural  Col- 

lege 147 

"        Mr.  Roseburgh's 158 

"        Ogden  Farm 160 

"        Paschal  Morris' 154 

"        Tattenhall  (Eng.) 166 

Piggeries  and  pig  pens 144 

Pig  pens 144 

"       Location  of. 144 

Pig  troughs... 169 

•*        "     Cast-iron 174 

"        "     Convenient 172 

•»        •*     hewn  out  of  a  log 170 

"        "     Plank 171 

"        "     Swinging  door 173 

Pork,  Food  required  to  produce  100 

Ibs 11 

Prince  Albert's  pigs  96 

Profit    of    raising    thorough-bred 

pigs ..222 

Protrusion  of  rectum 236 

Pulping  roots 228 

Rectum,  Protrusion  of 236 

Rheumatism 236,244 

Rosebnrgh's,  Mr.,  piggery 158 

Sheep,  Lawes'  experiments  in  feed- 
ing  22 

"       Stomach  of 9 

"       Live  and  dead  weight  of. ...  .192 

Shi'opshire  breed 94 

Sidney  on  large  and  small  breeds..  32 

Soaking  grain  for  pigs .228 

Sow  at  farrowing  time 194,  241 

"    Breeding,  Management  of. 241 

"   Feeding  a  suckling 214 


Sow  lying  on  pigs 211 

"    Selection  of 193 

"    taking  the  boar 233 

"    Treatment  of  thorough-bred.. 209 
Spring  pigs,  Rearing  and  manage- 
ment of 200 

Stickney's,  Isaac  and  Josiah,  impor- 
tation of  Suffolk 100 

Stomach,  Importance  of  a  good —  20 

of  ox,  Weight  of 9 

"        of  pig,  Weight  of. 9 

44        Proportion   to  weight  of 

body 11 

44        of  sheep,  Weight  of 9 

Stone,  F.  W.,  on  pigs 238 

Suffolk  and  other  white  breeds 72 

Suffolk  breed 92 

44       grades 103 

44       introduced  into  Boston...  100 

Sugar  as  food  for  pigs 135 

Summary 232 

Sus  Indica 41 

Sus  scrofa 41 

Swellings,  Treatment  of 243 

Swill  barrels 169 

Swill  barrel,  Portable 170 

Swill  tub 170 

Tamworth  breed 86,  87 

Tarn  worth  and  Berkshire  cross ....  33 

Tapeworm 235 

Tattenhall  piggery 166 

Thorough-bred  pig,  Value  of... ..  .35 

Value  of  a  thorough-bred  pig 35 

44     of  pig  manure 137 

Warwickshire  breed 86 

Weight  of  pigs,  Live  and  dead. . .  .191 
44       of  different  parts  of  a  pig.  .191 

Weaning  young  pigs 197 

Welsh  pigs 94 

White  Leicesters 59,  72 

Wild  boar 41 

Wild  hogs 41 

Windsor  breed 96 

41  Windsor  Castle" 99 

Woburn  breed 33,  94 

Yelt .  66 

York-Cumberland  breed 65 

Yorkshire  grades .103 

44          introduced  into  the  U.  S.100 

"         large  breed 69 

44         middle  or  medium  breed.  69 
"         smallbreed 63 


LIST    OF    ILLUSTRATIONS. 


Diagram  of,  Testing  the  Form  of  a  Good  Pig Page  18 

Wild  Boars 42 

WRd  Boar 43 

Original  Old  English  Pig 43 

Old  Irish  Pig 44 

French  Prize  Boar — Craonnaire  White f. . .  46 

Chinese  Sow— Imported 48 

Berkshire  Pig— (Loudon) 49 

Hampshire  Pig         "        49 

Herefordshire  Pig    "        50 

SuffolkPig  "        51 

Berkshire  Sow 51 

Yorkshire  Large  Breed,  "  Sir  Roger  de  Coverly." 58 

Yorkshire  Large  Breed,  "  Parian  Duchess." 60 

Yorkshire  Large  Breed,  "  Golden  Days." 62 

Cumberland- York  Boar— Small  Breed 64 

York-Cumberland  Pig— Small  Breed 66 

Yorkshire  Middle  Breed-"  Miss  Emily." 68 

White  Leicester  Boar  and  Sow— Small  Breed 76 

Berkshire,  Improved— Smithfleld  Club  Fat  Prize  Sow 75 

Berkshire,  Improved,  Middle  Breed,  Boar 77 

Essex,  Improved—"  Emperor." 79 

Essex,  Lord  Western's 87 

Essex  Boar,  L.  A.  Chase's 83 

Essex  Sows     "  "      83,  84 

Chester  County  White  Pig 105 

Jefferson  County  Pig Ill 

Piggery,  Michigan  Agricultural  College .147 

Piggery,  Ground  Plan  of  Michigan  Agricultural  College 148 

Piggery,  Plan  of  the  Author's 151 

Piggery,  Paschal  Morris' 154 

Piggery,  Ground  Plan  of  Paschal  Morris' 155 

Piggery,  Mr.  Rosebnrgh's 157 

Piggery,  Ground  Plan  of  Mr.  Roseburgh's 159 

Piggery,  Partition  in          "  ...160 

Piggery,  Ground  Plan  of  Ogden  Farm 161 

Piggery,  Cross  Section  of  Ogden  Farm 163 

249 


250  HARRIS    ON   THE    PIG. 

Piggery,  Elevation  of  Ogden  Farm 162 

Shed  for  Fattening  Pigs,  Mr.  Mangles' 163 

Shed,  Ground  Plan  of        "         "         163 

Shed,  Isometrical  viewof  "         " 165 

Piggery,  Covered  Food  House  at  Tattenhall 166 

Piggery,  Ground  Plan  of  Covered  Food  House  at  Tattenhall — , 167 

Portable  Swill  Barrel 170 

Pig  Trough— Hewn  Out  of  a  Log 170 

Pig  Trough,  Plank 171 

Pig  Trough,  Convenient 172 

Pig  Trough,  Swinging  Door 173 

Pig  Trough,  Swing  Door  to 174 

Pig  Trough,  Cast-iron 174 

Brood  Sow— Property  of  the  Duke  of  BuccJeuch 180 

Jealousy  as  an  Aid  to  Fattening..- ; 281 


AMERICAN   CATTLE: 

Their   History,    Breeding,   and    Management. 

By  LEWIS   P.  ALLEN, 

Late  President  New-York  State  Agricultural  Society,  Editor  "American 
Short-Hern  Herd  Book,"  Author  "  Rural  Architecture,"  etc.,  etc. 

Notices  by  the  Press. 

WK  consider  this  the  most  valuable  work  that  has  recently  been  issued 
from  the  American  press.  It  embraces  all  branches  of  the  important  subject, 
and  fills  a  vacancy  in  our  agricultural  literature  for  which  work  the  author,  by 
his  many  years'  experience  and  observation,  was  eminently  fitted.  ...  It 
ought  to  be  in  the  hands  of  every  owner  of  cattle,  and  the  country,  as  well  as 
individuals,  would,  soon  be  much  richer  for  its  teachings.— Journal  of  Agri- 
culture, (St.  Louis.) 

The  large  experience  of  the  author  in  improving  the  character  of  Ameri- 
can herds  adds  to  the  weight  of  his  observations,  and  has  enabled  him  to  pro- 
duce a  work  which  will  at  once  make  good  its  claims  as  a  standard  authority 
on  the  subject.  An  excellent  feature  of  this  volume  is  its  orderly,  methodical 
arrangement,  condensing  a  great  variety  of  information  into  a  comparatively 
small  compass,  and  enabling  the  reader  to  find  the  point  on  which  he  is  seek- 
ing light,  without  wasting  his  time  in  turning  over  the  leaves.— N.  Y.  Tribune. 

This  will  rank  among  the  standard  works  of  the  country,  and  will  be  con- 
sidered indispensable  by  every  breeder  of  live-stock.—  Practical  Farmer, (PhUa.) 

We  think  it  is  the  most  complete  work  upon  neat  stock  that  we  have 
seen,  embodying  as  it  does  a  vast  amount  of  research  and  careful  study  and 
observation.—  Wisconsin  Farmer. 

His  history  of  cattle  in  general,  and  of  the  individual  breeds  in  particular 
which  occupies  the  first  one  hundred  and  eighty  pages  of  the  volume,  is  writ- 
ten with  much  of  the  grace  and  charm  of  an  Allison  or  a  Macaulay.  His  de- 
scription of  the  leading  breeds  is  illustrated  by  cuts  of  a  bull,  a  cow,  and  a 
fat  ox,  of  each  race.  The  next  one  hundred  pages  are  devoted  to  the  sub- 
ject  of  Breeding.  This  is  followed  by  chapters  on  Beef  Cattle,  Working  Oxen, 
Milch  Cows,  Cattle  Food,  Diseases,  etc.  The  arrangement,  illustrations,  an- 
alytical index,  etc.,  of  the  work  are  in  the  best  style  of  modern  book-mak- 
ing.—New-England  Farmer. 

The  work  is  one  that  has  been  long  needed,  as  it  takes  the  place  of  the 
foreign  books  of  like  nature  to  which  our  farmers  have  been  obliged  to  refer, 
and  furnishes  in  a  compact  and  well-arranged  volume  all  they  desire  upon  this 
important  subject.— Maine  Farmer. 

Whatever  works  the  stock-farmer  may  already  have,  he  can  not  afford  to 
do  without  this.— Ohio  Farmer. 

It  is  one  of  the  best  treatises  within  our  knowledge,  and  contains  infor- 
mation sound  and  sensible  on  every  page.— Tlie  People,  (Concord,  N.  H.) 

The  object  of  the  work,  as  stated  by  the  author  in  his  preface,  "  is  not  only 
to  give  a  historical  acccount  of  the  Bovine  race,  to  suggest  to  our  farmers  and 
cattle-breeders  the  best  methods  of  their  production  and  management,  but  to 
exalt  and  ennoble  its  pursuit  to  the  dignity  to  which  it  is  entitled  in  the  vari- 
ous departments  of  American  agriculture."  From  the  little  examination  we 
have  been  able  to  give  it,  we  can  not  recommend  it  too  highly.— Canada 
Farmer. 

Considering  that  there  are  some  ten  million  milch  cows  in  the  United 
States,  and  nearly  a  thousand  million  of  dollars  invested  in  cattle,  the  magni 
tude  of  this  interest  demands  that  the  best  skilled  talent  be  devoted  to  the 
improvement  of  the  various  breeds  and  the  investigation  of  the  best  method 
of  so  caring  for  the  animals  as  to  gain  the  greatest  profit  from  them.  This 
volume  will  give  the  farmer  just  the  instruction  which  he  wants.— N.  T.  Inde- 
pendent. 

Price,  post-paid,  $2.50. 

ORANGE    JUDD    &    CO., 

245  Broadway,  New- York. 


NEW  AMERICAN  FARM  BOOK. 


ORIGINALLY  BY 


AUTHOR  OF  "DISEASES  OP.  DOMESTIC  ANIMALS,"  AND  FORMERLY  SDITOB  or 
THE  "AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST." 

REVISED  AND  ENLARGED  BY 
LEWIS     F.    A.LLE3V, 

AUTHOB  OF  "AMERICAN  CATTLE,"  EDITOR  Or  THE    "AMERICAN  SHORT-HORN 

BOOK,"  ETC. 


INTRODUCTION.—  Tillage  Husbandry 
—Grazing — Feeding — Breeding — 
Planting,  etc. 

CHAPTER  I.— Soils  —  Classification- 
Description  —  Management  —  Pro- 
perties. 

CHAPTER  II.— Inorganic  Manures- 
Mineral  —  Stone  —  Earth  —  Phos- 
phatic. 

CHAPTER  III. —  Organic  Manures  — 
Their  Composition  — Animal— Ve- 
getable. 

CHAPTER  IV.— Irrigation  and  Drain- 
ing. 

CHAPTER  V.— Mechanical  Divisions 
of  Soils  — Spading— Plowing— Im- 
plements. 

CHAPTER  VI.— The  Grasses— Clovers 
— Meadows  —  Pastures  —  Compara- 
tive Values  of  Grasses— Implements 
for  their  Cultivation. 

CHAPTER  VII.— Grain,  and  its  Culti- 
vation —  Varieties  —  Growth— Har- 
vesting. 

CHAPTER  VIII.— Leguminous  Plants 
—The  Pea— Bean  —  English  Field 
Bean— Tare  or  Vetch— Cultivation 
—Harvesting. 

CHAPTER  IX.— Roots  and  Esculents- 
Varieties— Growth  —  Cultivation  — 
Securing  the  Crops — Uses — Nutri- 
tive Equivalents  of  Different  Kinds 
of  Forage. 

CHAPTER  X.— Fruits— Apples— Cider 
—Vinegar— Pears— Quinces— Plums 
Peaches  —  Apricots  —  Nectarines  — 
Smaller  Fruits — Planting — Cultiva- 
tion—Gathering— Preserving. 

CHAPTER  XI.— Miscellaneous  Objects 
of  Cultivation,  aside  from  the  Or- 
dinary Farm  Crops— Broom-corn— 
Flax— Cotton— Hemp— Sugar  Cane 
Sorghum— Maple  Sugar— Tobacco — 
'•  Indigo— Madder— Wood— Sumach- 
Teasel  —  Mustard  —  Hops  —  Castor 
Bean. 

CHAPTER  XII.— Aids  and  Objects  of 
Agriculture  —  Rotation  of  Crops, 
and  their  Effects— Weeds— Restora- 


tion of  Worn-out  Soils— Fertilizing 
Barren  Lands— Utility  of  Birds- 
Fences— Hedges— Farm  Roads- 
Shade  Trees— Wood  Lands— Time 
of  Cutting  Timber— Tools— Agri- 
cultural Education  of  the  Farmer. 

CHAPTER  XIII. — Farm  Buildings- 
House  —  Barn— Sheds  —  Cisterns  — 
Various  other  Outbuildings— Steam- 
ing Apparatus. 

CHAPTER  XIV.— Domestic  Animals 
— Breeding — Anatomy— Respiration 
— Consumption  of  Food. 

CHAPTER  XV.— Neat  or  Horned  Cattle 
Devons  —  Herefords— Ayreshires  — 
Galloways  —  Short  -  horns  —  Alder- 
neys  or  Jerseys— Dutch  or  Holstein 
—Management  from  Birth  to  Milk- 
ing, Labor,  or  Slaughter. 

CHAPTER  XVI.— The  Dairy- Milk- 
Butter— Cheese— Different  Kinds- 
Manner  of  Working. 

CHAPTER  XVII.  —  Sheep  —  Merino — 
Saxon — South  Down  —  The  Long- 
wooled  Breeds— Cotswold— Lincoln 
—  Breeding  —  Management  —  Shep- 
herd Dogs. 

CHAPTER  XVIII.  —  The  Horse— De- 
scrip  tion  of  Different  Breeds — Their 
Various  Uses— Breeding— Manage- 
ment. 

CHAPTER  XIX. —The  Ass— Mule  — 
Comparative  Labor  of  Working 
Animals. 

CHAPTER  XX.  —  Swine  —  Different 
Breeds  —  Breeding — Rearing  —  Fat- 
tening— Curing  Pork  and  Hams. 

CHAPTER  XXI.  —  Poultry— Hens,  or 
Barn-door  Fowls  —  Turkey  —  Pea- 
cock— Guinea  Hen — Goose — Duck 
—Honey  Bees. 

CHAPTER  XXII.  —  Diseases  of  Ani- 
mals—What Authority  Shall  We 
Adopt  ?  —  Sheep  —  Swine  —  Treat- 
ment and  Breeding  of  Horses. 

CHAPTER  XXIII.— Conclusion— Gene- 
ral Remarks  —  The  Farmer  who 
Lives  by  his  Occupation— The  Ama- 
teur Farmer— Sundry  Useful  Tables. 


SENT   POST-PAID,  PRICE  $2.50. 

ORANGE    JUDD    &    CO., 

245    Broadway,    New-York, 


THIS  BOOK  IS  DUE  ON  THE  LAST  DATE 
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THIS  BOOK  ON  THE  DATE  DUE.  THE  PENALTY 
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DAY  AND  TO  $1.OO  ON  THE  SEVENTH  DAY 
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OCT  281940 

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WC  7  194@  A 

NOV  23  1946 

LD  21-100m-7,'40  (6936s) 

YB   16182 


